THE COST OF DESTINY
by PT21
Summary: Deanna fought against becoming Imzadi with the dashing young lieutenant with all her might, but when you're fighting against a power as strong as Imzadi then there is only going to be one loser. You. This gets pretty steamy after a few chapters so be warned. Enjoy those who haven't read it before on the Imzadi forums.
1. Chapter 1

The Cost of Destiny

By Carol Sandford

Rated M

Set: Early days on Betazed

Disclaimer is in force, so leave me be, you brutes!

Chapter 1

Cigar smoke lay like a heavy hand in the small back dining room of the

Troi mansion. Three men, one woman, sat around the table, cards in hand,

their dark gazes intent on the current deal. Sergeant Tang, the crusty-

looking, ageing man, frowned at his luck while Mark Roper, considered

the possibility of drawing another king for a pair. Beside him, the sole

woman of the meet, smiled inwardly at a pair of jacks and deuce wild,

while Will, all but did mental backflips over the three queens in his hand.

The foursome made an unlikely quartet. Each holding a quality that one

another admired, and each trying their damnedest to produce the most

perfect poker face - and succeeding. Sly glances occasionally broke the

concentration as the vied for something, anything, that would give an

opponent away. All failed.

The woman studied the man opposite her for longer, his features likeable

enough to capture many a look. He had eyes that made women forget to

breathe. Startling blue, like a mountain lake fed by the purest of

waters, and curtained with sweeping lashes. And that smile. That smile

of his could charm the stripes of zebra.

It also didn't hurt that he was six foot four, with a physique to match

his height. He was all male. It didn't matter that he was an

off-worlder. Her people had long accepted that they needed aid from the

outside. The small army that resided not too far away from this very

room, somehow, seemed calming. Safe. William Riker was one of those

soldiers, he was also a formidable poker player, and was happily piling

up her precious chips before him as he waited for his Lady Luck to wave

her magic wand his way, again.

"Five dollars says that pot is mine." Will grinned.

Tang glanced up from his hand of cards and bit down on his own cigar.

"The hell you say..." he glanced red-faced towards the female of the

group, "sorry ma'am - I'll see your five and double it."

"Too steep for me." Mark threw his cards down and pushed away from the

table. "Gotta go, folks. Need to check on that daughter of mine - see if

she really is tucked up in that bed of hers. I doubt it it though, she's

probably harassing some poor soldier into giving her a good time."

Will continued to stare at his cards. He still had a game to win and the

last member of the group didn't look like she was about to fold. He

caught her eyes with his own, "Looks like it's just you me." Will tipped

back his chair on two legs while the men pulled on their jackets. "I see

you..." he tossed a few more chips into the pile. "...and I-"

The door to the dining room flew open, creating an instant draft that

lifted the cards already placed on the table top.

"Mother, this has got to stop immediately!"

Will swivelled to look at the woman standing in the doorway.

Deanna Troi.

Deanna's ebony hair tumbled around her flushed face and fell in riotous

waves over the shoulders of the purple dressing-gown she wore, its

lapels overlapping and pulled tight around her slender figure, and then

held fast with a belt, the sleeves, so long they completely covered her

hands. But it was her eyes that held Will's stare; black orbs that

matched her mothers, blazed with thunderous emotion. She was livid.

"Little one, I can explain..."

Lwaxana Troi took the unlit, enormous cigar daintily from between her

lips and put it onto the table. It fascinated Will to watch her play the

game with the huge six inch cigar stuck between her teeth. She'd never

lit it, not even once, but for whatever obscure reason, she found the

smell and, or the taste of it comforting. Either that or she just liked

to be, 'one of the boys'.

Dropping the chair onto all four of its legs, Will glanced forlornly at

the queens in his hand, sighed, then threw his cards down, folded his

arms and rested them on the table and waited for the show to begin.

Flopping back into her chair Lwaxana turned her attention to her

daughter who was moving stiffly out of the way as the departing men

bowed uneasily, and silently as they made their escape. Will would have

done the same, but his perverseness at watching the two women argue kept

him planted in his chair.

Hell bent on bending her mothers ear, Deanna ignored the man sitting

opposite her. But even though she didn't even glance in his direction,

she could not ignore the sheer power that oozed from his direction. Damn

him, he was going to listen to her rant and rave at her mother, and once

more, make herself look the bad guy. She hated that.

Will studied Deanna's flawless features as she ripped into her mother.

Something about that haughty, patronizing air of hers, quite often made

Will want to grab her by her cute chin and kiss her senseless. She

rattled him, big time. But she was her mothers daughter. She was a

dignitary. She was as good as a princess. She was off-limits.

And he'd wanted her as soon as he'd laid eyes on her.

But sitting here, watching her blow a gasket, with her hair all rumpled,

dressed in her robe and fluffy slippers, Deanna didn't look quite so

starched, or quite so stiff, or quite so regal. She looked kind

of...soft. Soft and cute. He began to wonder what she was hiding beneath

the sack of a bathrobe. Was it a sexy little see-through number. Or

maybe a virginal white shorty? Nah, it was probably some god-awful

frumpy thing that she'd inherited from some maiden aunt or something

similar.

Startled by his thoughts, and the silence that now surrounded him, Will

looked first to her mother, and then to Deanna and noticed the rigid

lift of her shoulders and the tight press of her lips. He shifted

uncomfortably in his chair remembering, belatedly, that he was in the

presence of a powerful telepath and an empath, and his thoughts of

moments ago would have been as vivid to them as watching a movie show.

It was time to leave.

Hastily pushing himself to a stand, the chair scraping in protest at its

harsh treatment, Will scooped his healthy pile of chips into his hands.

"Time to go, ladies, I know you both need your beauty sleep. Thanks for

the game, Mrs. Troi, look forward to doing it again sometime." He

mentally kicked himself as he found himself bowing as he backed his way

towards the door, "Deanna. Good night."

Too late.

"Stop right there, Lieutenant Riker!"

Just two more steps and he would have been home-free. Framed by the

doorway, Will stood his full height, the small tuft of his hair lightly

grazing the top of the doorway. How the hell Homn walked around the

house, still bewildered Will.

He watched Deanna's small frame approach and his body went tense with

inner dread. But when she spoke, he couldn't have been more surprised if

he'd tried.

"I see you've lost a lot of money tonight, Mr. Riker, and I feel bad

about that. How about a rematch - just you and me?" she challenged.

He eyed her suspiciously, drowning himself in her dark eyes, "What's the

catch?"

She seemed to already looked triumphant, "If I win, you must promise

never to play anymore poker while you're on my planet, or include my

mother in any of your other...games."

"And if I win...?"

"You get to play poker whenever you like...and I'll come and work for

you for..."she tapped her chin as she pondered the option, "two weeks."

"You'll cheat."

"Absolutely."

"You'll read my mind. I won't stand a chance."

"I thought you were good at this, Mr. Riker."

"I am!"

"Prove it."

"Okay, you're on."

They both made their way back to the table. Lwaxana Troi stood and

stretched her arms high above her head, her voice high and full of

shameless pretence, "Heavens, is that time? I think I'll retire and

leave you young things to battle it out."

Neither Will nor Deanna expected her to stay as they moved either side

of the table and sat down, but with Lwaxana's parting words, they both

looked up at her with determination, fire and a touch of fear in their

eyes.

"May the best man win, darlings. Good night." she ended on a sing-song

tone.

Deanna stared across at the man that sat opposite her, her muttered,

"Good night, Mother, I'll see /you /in the morning." slipping from her

lips, devoid of emotion. Will's own half-hearted, "Good night, Mrs.

Troi." also drifted off as he watched Deanna collect up the scattered

cards and begin to shuffle them as well as any card dealer could.

He was in trouble.

He also made a mistake when he asked what game she'd like to play as she

placed the pack in the centre of the table," So what's it going to be,

Deanna?" he was sure she was going to say Go Fish, or Crazy Eights, but

when he watched her sit up in her chair and her hands lace delicately on

the table in front of her, he knew he was sunk.

"How about five card stud, one-eyed jacks wild?"

"You want to play poker!?"

"Of course! My father taught me to count with a deck of cards when I was

two. When the other kids were playing kiddy stuff, I learned how to

double down with an eleven in blackjack." She smiled and held her cool

eyes steady with his. "Now deal the cards, Lieutenant, I'm about to kick

your butt."

Tbc...


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter two

Will groaned into the snowy white pillow as the alarm jangled beside his

head. Reaching out, he slapped the offending time piece and resumed his

position, only this time, the things that ran through his mind now

became thoughts rather than dreams. Living on the base's campus, meant

that Will only had to allow himself five minutes to walk from his bed to

his office, and he fully intended to make the most of the precious half

hour he allowed himself before he had to move.

Rolling onto his back, he found himself staring at the ceiling and

thinking about the poker game, and Deanna Troi. Over the two hours or so

that they had battled it out, Will had learned a lot about Deanna Troi.

About the way she scratched the minuscule dimple upon her chin when she

was bluffing. The way her throat turned pink when she was on a winning

streak. He liked the way she tucked wayward strands of hair behind

delicate ears that just begged to be kissed. And he liked her sassy

mouth. The latter a pleasant surprise.

He was a man that had come to fully appreciate the female of the

species. With their exotic smells and delicious curves, they fascinated

him almost as much as they intrigued him. They were complicated and

mysterious; sweet and coy one minute, difficult and confusing the next.

Fortunately for him, women enjoyed his company as much as he enjoyed

theirs. He understood the game well enough to know that, as an

unattached male, he was open season for all single women. but he was

honest and up front with every woman he dated; he wasn't looking for

anything more.

He pulled the pillow on top of his head and groaned again. /Not until

he'd met Deanna Troi./

Damn.

Why now? He'd 'known' Deanna for some time. He'd seen her around and

she'd ignored him. At first it bugged him. And then it had intrigued

him. And then he'd all but given up. The rumours that he'd heard about

her seemed to be true, and he just wasn't up for the challenge - not

when there were other women willing to offer him what she clearly had no

intention of offering.

Wendy Roper. Nice lady. Great ass. The word easy slipped into his head,

but then just as quickly slipped out again. He'd been even easier. She

was willing, and he was ready. Heck, he'd been flat on his back, dressed

only with a, 'come and get me' smile plastered upon his face. She got him.

Occasionally she sought him out, and occasionally, he admitted to

himself, he caved in to her feminine wiles. Okay, he moaned. he,

'always' caved in. He was a man, after all. And she was willing, after all.

But what he wanted - what he really wanted, was a taste of the forbidden

fruit, and if he had to play dirty to get it, then so be it.

"You cheated, didn't you?"

Riker smiled enigmatically, "I'll never tell. I'm much too much of a

gentleman to reveal such a secret as that."

Tang propped himself against the desk and folded his arms across his

wide chest. Laughter lit up his wiry features, "You cheated. There is no

way on this planet that you won against a Betazoid. How did you do it?"

Will shoved the file into its appropriate slot and slammed shut the

drawer, "Actually, it was easy. Somehow...I managed to get into her

mind just enough to know what she was holding. She obviously figured I

couldn't do that and left herself wide open for invasion. I just made

the most of the opportunity." he said proudly.

"I bet she was as mad as hell."

"Actually, she wasn't," he grimaced, puzzlement clouding his normally

handsome features just for a moment, and then a big cheesy grin took its

place, "Maybe she wanted me to win."

Tang barked out his surprise loudly,"Deanna Troi!? Never! Her reputation

as ice-queen, stuffy-drawers and snob are not uttered in vain. She is

every bit as formidable as her nick-names imply. You think her mother is

a tyrant? You haven't seen nothing until you have met the wrath of her

daughter!"

It was then that Tang noticed how Will was staring past his shoulders,

the look of horror and tension, and embarrassment etched upon his face,

"She's here, isn't she?" he groaned, his moustache drooping along with

the line of his mouth, the stark terror lightening his already pale,

wishy-washy blue eyes.

Deanna stepped further into the room, her face, Will could tell, was

hidden behind a well used mask, her words dripping amusement. Bitter

amusement. "Glad to see I still have my reputation in tact, Lieutenant

Tang, I'll be sure to pass the good news onto my mother, she'll be

thrilled to hear my regalness still has some strength around here."

/Well done/, Will thought to himself, even if Tang wasn't that far off

the mark. Still, it had gotta hurt; being tagged with handles, that to a

young and beautiful woman, must hurt, it had got to. But she sure as

hell wasn't going to let him, or anyone else know.

Still with that same bitter amusement, she brought into his train of

thought, "Good morning, Lieutenant Riker. As you can see, I've kept my

side of the bet. I am at your disposal for the next two weeks."

As she stood within Will's office, Deanna was still stunned at how Riker

had beaten her at poker. NO ONE had ever beat her! Ever! He had got to

have cheated, but as she'd lay in her bed, no matter how many times she

replayed the game over and over in her head, could she find the moment

when he had.

And so here she was, at his mercy. God help her. Tang's cruel words had

stung, but she'd heard them before - and had dismissed them just as fast

before too. But they still rankled. They still hurt. Sometimes, she

liked having that elusiveness - that edge of being, 'different', but

unfortunately those differences not only kept tongues wagging, but kept

men away. No man dared to approach the mighty Deanna Troi, and as she

looked up into the mesmerizing gaze of William Riker, she thought

morosely, if only they tried.

If only /he'd /try.

Will watched her blink a thought away and wondered just what had gone

through her crazy head. For an instant he thought she was going to cry,

but as fast as her eyes shimmered with tell-tale tears, they got

replaced by that no-nonsense cool facade again.

How the hell was he going to work with her, for two, whole, damn weeks?

"WHO THE HELL PUT FLOWERS IN MY OFFICE!?" William Riker's voice echoed

around the sparsely spread complex, making his voice carry and sound

even louder than it really was. Why he yelled the stupid question was

beyond him. It was obvious who'd put them in there; Deanna Troi.

When the person in question stuck her head around the door barely thirty

seconds later, it was to see him dumping the beautiful blooms in the bin.

"Why did you do that? Don't you know that having a little piece of

nature around you helps your peace of mind. Calms you?" she offered,

stung that he'd not even just simply moved the flowers, but had

unceremoniously thrown them away. She suddenly felt as discarded as them.

"Ms. Troi, in case you hadn't noticed, this, is a military base. We are

supposed to be seen as soldiers of war. Saviours of planets. Men of

action. How in God's name do you think I would feel, sat in my office

with an admiral - or some other important person, and a bunch

of...of..." He grabbed at a name out of thin air, "daffodils waving in

their face!?"

"They're not daffodils," she said petulantly, "They're Chrysanthemums -

and I did chose a masculine colour." She added for good measure.

The deep green of the foliage only seemed to highlight the beautiful,

rich auburn hue of the buds. In another setting, Will would have admired

the blooms, but not here, not in his office. And not from her, because

every time he'd look at them, he would think of her, and these days, she

was never far from his thoughts, anyhow.

And now, as she stood dejected and tinged with anger, he was almost

sorry for his childish outburst. His voice softened a touch as he slid

behind the safe haven of his desk - only because he'd slid a glance down

her slender body and caught a glimpse of creamy breast where her

no-nonsense blouse had shifted. The innocent slip on her part, created a

masculine, graphic response on his.

Damn, she'd caught him out as her own startled gaze quickly glanced

down, and fingers even quicker than her glance, whipped up and covered

the now blush-tinted exposed flesh. Her eyes held a hint of apology and

embarrassment, and before he could even dismiss it, and her, she turned

tail and vanished.

Will shook his head in stunned bemusement as he watched her retreating

back. Was she really that shy? Now, if had been Wendy Roper, she'd had

been perched on the edge of his desk by now and...

Will slapped the image away. He didn't want Wendy, he wanted...

He wanted...

Deanna.

Tbc...


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter three.

When Will returned from a meeting in the consulate a couple of days

after his very frank, and very unwanted admission, he walked through the

door to the complex to find the object of his displeasure striding

towards his office from the opposite direction, clipboard in hand.

Determined to keep her not only out from under his feet, but amused with

a job that he expected to take her at least two days, Will had given her

the task of sorting and counting the stores, with instructions to order

supplies if necessary.

She had balked when she'd stepped into the huge storeroom, with its

towering layers of racking and some thirty feet of area. It was stacked

from floor to ceiling with almost every kind of supplies imaginable. It

was a relatively easy job; she had a list and she just had to

cross-reference with what was on the list to what was on the shelf. Simple.

He swore she gave him a look of pure venom before demurely telling him

that it was, 'no problem'. In hind sight, he should have wondered about

her strange answer. In hind sight, he should have at least checked up on

her occasionally to see if she was coping okay. In hindsight, he should

have known she had something up her sleeve.

She did.

"Good morning, Lieutenant Riker."

Will beamed at the sight for sore eyes before him. She couldn't have

smiled any wider. And, she couldn't have looked more gorgeous if she'd

tried. "Good morning, Miss. Troi, how's the inventory going?" He gave

himself a mental pat on the back; /Good thinking, Riker, keep it on

neutral ground, you can do this./

If it was at all possible, her smile turned even more saccharin sweet,

"Oh, I've nearly finished. Just got to check the medical supplies and

then I'm all done. I've ordered the diminished supplies like you

instructed. Some have already arrived, and the others should be here by

the end of the week."

He had to hand it to her, Will thought, she was putting up a really good

front. If he didn't know better, he'd think she was actually enjoying

herself. Which of course, she wasn't.

"Oh, good, good, that's great," he marvelled, "that'll save us a lot of

time. You've done a remarkable job for us so far, I'm glad we played

that game now." Will gamely grinned at her, convinced that she would

understand the humour behind the remark. When she didn't comment, Will

wished he could backtrack; remove the joke, but knew he was too late. He

turned to his office door, effectively halting the unwanted and uneasy

moment, "Well, I'll be in my office if you need me. See you later."

As he put his hand on the handle. Will didn't wonder why she stopped

several feet away from his office door, and just assumed that she was

waiting for him to shut the door on her. But he soon found out the

reason why when he turned the door's handle and stepped into the room.

"What the...!?"

A mountain of toilet rolls rained down on him like an avalanche of snow.

Hundreds of the pearly white packs of tissue toppled over him, some

stacked as high as the ceiling. As he rose frantic arms to ward of the

worse of the freefall, he only succeeded in making the other still

standing piles collide against the one beside it, creating a domino effect.

Like lava flowing, Will tried frantically to side-step the rolling mass,

but only ended up landing flat on his back, buried beneath the still

tumbling packs. When at last they all came to a halt, Will lay there,

stunned and feeling decidedly foolish, slowly pushing away the remaining

rolls from his torso.

He narrowed his eyes, and gritted his teeth. Somebody was going to die.

When that somebody leaned over him, he stared up at her, his command of

speech got totally obliterated.

"I guess I forgot to mention that I made a slight error with the order.

Isn't it funny what the difference is between one thousand individual

toilet rolls and one thousand packs?" she blinked, apparently stunned by

the information, "Amazing." She said, and then her eyebrows rose in mock

concern, "Sorry."

Deanna squeaked when Will's hand snaked out and grabbed her down and on

top of him. In one swift, fluid move, he rolled and pinned her

underneath him. Eyes wide, mouth still agape with surprise, she looked

up at him and saw the murderous glint in his eyes.

She couldn't help it. She started to laugh. She watched, fascinated as a

muscle jumped in Will's jaw as he stared down at her. Revenge glistened

in his bright blue eyes, and a slow, sinister smile touched his mouth.

She was in trouble.

Deanna struggled to move away from him, but Will was not having any of

it. Straddling her, Will tried to grasp her hands, but she fought like a

demon. Eventually he captured her arms and pinned them to her sides. She

tried to break free but his grip only tightened. He was much too strong

for her to throw him off, and she would only embarrass herself if she

tried.

She tried to reason with his nicer side, even threw a gentle, teasing

smile his way, "I did say I was sorry, Will."

Will shook his head bemused, the action forcing the shock of hair to

fall over his forehead, "You want to tell me how you managed this little

trick by yourself?" he demanded quietly.

"Tang helped." she admitted smugly, "We had the driver back up to your

office window and he very kindly passed them through to us - Well, threw

actually," she emended. "There was such a lot." she added innocently.

He couldn't believe what he was hearing, "You did this on purpose? You

actually spent the entire years budget, just to get back at me!?" His

eyes turned darker. Stormier. Hurt.

Guilt suddenly racked through her. She hadn't thought of that, or how he

would feel."I claim full responsibility for my actions," she said

emphatically. "I insist that all consequences be directed at me."

As he watched the guilt fill her eyes, it triggered a momentary moment

of compassion within him, allowing the joke that it was filter through.

"You insist, do you?" His voice suddenly turned husky. "All

consequences?" his voice dropped another octave, "Are you sure about

that, Deanna?"

The sudden change startled Deanna and her struggles slowly stilled,

insecurity filled her mind, chasing out the foolishness that had taken

over, creating a dangerous situation. What was she doing? What wasn't

she doing? She wasn't fighting him anymore. She wasn't even thinking

anymore. She'd never been more aware of a man in her entire life. Will's

body was long and hard and muscular. The angles of his face were sharp

now, his jaw clenched, his eyes narrowed and dancing with the devil. His

strong mouth was pressed into a smirk, his hair, tousled and itching to

be touched.

But it was the pulse at the base of his throat that had captured her

attention. She couldn't take her eyes of it. The air shimmered around

them. Grew taut. Deanna didn't want this. Didn't want to cross any lines

that she'd regret, and she had enough regrets in her life at the moment,

and she really didn't want to add William Riker to that list.

The pulsing in her body screamed at her to shut up and offer herself to

Will without question or protest. But her head sensibly over-ruled her

rapidly heating body and she thanked the stars that she still had a

thread of good judgement left to cling onto.

"So," she said lightly, desperately wanting to pull the mood back to

playful, or even apologetic instead of the dark, sensual tone that had

suddenly closed in around them. "Am I forgiven?"

He stared at her for a long moment, then his gaze dropped to her mouth.

"No, you're not. I need to think of a suitable punishment." he said, his

voice strained.

With her body still pinned beneath his, Will lifted her arms over her

head, then lowered his mouth to hers. At the first light touch of his

lips on hers, she held very still, determined not to respond. And then

that last thread of good judgement she'd been so proud of, snapped like

a twig in a tornado.

His mouth was firm and strong, but the kiss was gentle. Her heart

slammed in her chest as he nibbled on the corner of her lips. Liquid

heat rushed through her body, and her skin became tight and tingly.

"Will," she whispered as her traitorous lips moved against his, "I don't

think..."

"Me, either."

Then he completely destroyed her.

He crushed his mouth to hers. Her senses spun at the fierce demand of

his lips, the press of his strong, long body over hers, the faint

masculine scent that was his, and only his. He was power and she was

powerless. The silly myths she'd heard over the eons about fairy tale

romances and being swept off her feet. They were all true.

She had no defences against him. His kiss stripped away every argument,

every last remnant of reason and logic. Her mind was no longer in

control. Right then, she could only feel. And it felt wonderful. It felt

better than wonderful.

He deepened the kiss and a low, unguarded moan rose from deep in her

throat. She squirmed beneath him, frustrated that he still held her

arms, yet excited at the same time. Intense pleasure sparked in her

blood, then burst into flames. When his hands finally released her

wrists, only to slide down her arms, she trembled in anticipation.

Needing him closer, she wound her arms tightly around his neck. His

mouth moved down her throat, his tongue, hot and wet, tasted and nipped.

He murmured something against her ear and his warm breath sent ripples

of delight through her. Skilfully he moved hands down her sides, then

lower still, gathering her skirt upward, exposing her calves, then her

thighs. His hands felt rough on her sensitive skin and she shivered at

his touch. An ache settled between her legs, and she moved restlessly

against him, wanting more.

Then his hands moved upward and slid under her blouse. She gasped when

he cupped her breasts, arching upwards, inviting more, receiving it when

his thumbs caressed her hardened nipples. She almost fell apart there

and then, but knew there was more to come. He nipped at the base of her

throat, murmured her name, then moved lower...

"Hello! anyone here?"

Both she and Will jumped at the deep, booming voice that echoed through

the empty corridor, barely a few feet away from where they lay on the

floor amongst the carpet of toilet rolls, practically on the point of

making love.

Muttering an oath, Will moved off of her, then stood, reached out a hand

to help her up. Shaking, she rose on jellied knees and quickly smoothed

down her clothing with hands that trembled violently, not only from what

had happened to her body, but from almost being caught making out. She

wasn't sure at that point which was worse.

The man that eventually stuck his head through the door, stared in

bewilderment and amusement, first at the toilet rolls that the couple

now stood in up to their knees, and then at the, 'don't you dare say a

word' expression upon both their faces.

By the time Will had dealt with the delivery man, Deanna had gone. Escaped.

Damn.

Tbc...


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter four

"I'm surprised to see you this morning, Miss Troi - especially

after...yesterday." Will handed Deanna the day's agenda, his eyes

holding a hint of surprise, and pride. Unable to resist himself, Wills

fingers tenderly stroked her hand as she took the padd from him, "I

thought you would have wanted out from our...agreement."

She jerked her hand away as though she had been burnt, her frown marring

her pretty face, "I finish what I start, Lieutenant. I don't scare that

easy." she said firmly.

He grinned at her, "I'm glad to hear that, Deanna. Very glad."

There was no doubt in her mind as to what he meant, and her cheeks

turned pink, which only made Will smile wider. He leaned in closer,

bringing his mouth to within a couple of inches from hers, and her

eyelids lowered. She started to sway towards him, then she blinked and

jerked her head away.

"Oh, no," she swore, "That is one thing that is never going to happen

again. Do you understand me, Lieutenant?"

Before he even had a chance to agree, or even laugh at the absurdity of

her threat, she spun on her heels and left the room, leaving behind a

delicate waft of her perfume, and a challenge.

Deanna tried to find a million and one excuses to get out of her

mother's little, 'get-together', and for every excuse Deanna found, her

mother threw each one straight back at her, until in the end, she pinned

her daughter with a murderous glare, puffed out her chest, lifted her

eyebrows and growled, non-too-ladylike, "Deal with him, Deanna. Either

give him what he wants, or stay away from him."

"But mother, I am trying! But everywhere I go, he's there.

He's...everywhere!" she cried passionately. "It's like...it's like, he's

a magnet to me. I can't seem to avoid him." she added rather

despondently. Thoughtfully.

Lwaxana Troi watched the misery and confusion mar her daughters

beautiful face, recognizing the true problem instantly; Deanna was

falling in love. Her little girl had fallen for possibly the last person

on Betazed that she should have done. A man that was going to spend his

life among the stars. A man, who had only been on her home planet for

less than a month, but had still managed to build a reputation with the

ladies. Simply, a man.

William Riker was a cad in the first order. William Riker was the one

man that she didn't want teaching her daughter how to be a woman. A

proper woman. William Riker was not suitable husband material, and

Deanna would never have a moments happiness with him after the initial

flush of passion had been spent. He was either likely to disappear from

her life, leaving her behind with a broken heart, or he was going to die

amongst those stars that he clearly idolized.

Just like her beloved husband had.

The exasperation drained from Lwaxana's body as quickly as it filled it.

Sliding down onto the couch beside her, she gently tugged on Deanna's

hand to follow her down. Knee to knee, she squeezed Deanna's cold

fingers while her eyes bored into her very soul.

Looking utterly miserable, Deanna whispered, "Mom, he kisses me like..."

she trailed off, blushing delicately, "like he..." and still she

couldn't say it, so her mother finished it for her.

"Like he wants more." she murmured, understandingly, simultaneously,

images of them writhing together filled their minds. Lwaxana tugged on

Deanna's fingers, effectively severing that particular line of thought,

forcing Deanna to look into her own obsidian eyes. "Darling, if you were

really trying to avoid him, why did you challenge him to that silly

game? It seems to me that you were doing everything, 'but,' avoid him."

she challenged softly.

"I didn't think he'd win, Mother. Nobody's ever beaten me before. I

don't know how he did it." she whispered brokenly.

Her mother's tender and tolerant smile captured her forlorn gaze,

"Deanna, there was only one way William could have won. Hasn't it

occurred to you yet how it happened?" At her blank, onyx stare,

Lwaxana's own eyes went misty. "Little one, he read your mind."

Deanna reacted as though she had been slapped, "But how can that be,

Mother? He is a Terran. He's not even my life partner. He's

just!...he's just...a man!" she cried with despair.

"A man that you have very strong feelings for, Darling," Lwaxana lamented.

Deanna leapt from the couch, unable to sit and face her mother any

longer. Unable to hide the truth. But being a telepath, Lwaxana Troi

didn't need to see her daughter's face to know what lie beneath her

tearful eyes. "No! No, that cannot be, Mother! I didn't want this to

happen. I'm too young. And he's...he's Starfleet! He's the worst of the

worst."

"He is also destined to become your Imzadi, Deanna." she unwillingly

admitted quietly.

Deanna whirled on the spot, her dress, her hair swirling around to

caress her with the angry, stunned action, until everything in the room

came to a cataclysmic halt. "No!"

The one, simple word reverberated around the room, only to be mocked by

an even more powerful, silent one.

Yes

Tbc...


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter five.

She envied him. The man prowled around and in between her friends like

he'd known them his whole lifetime. Which he hadn't. But even so, it

didn't stop her envying his ability to invade her world so effectively,

so thoroughly, so...intimately.

The party had been in full swing by the time William Riker had arrived.

The room practically heaved with bodies of varying age, race and

interest. Deanna knew everyone that had come, welcoming them through the

door along side her mother. But the moment she'd sensed Will arrive, she

had been knee-deep in conversation with her best friend's father, Gart

Xerx, and other than a cursory acknowledging nod of his head towards

her, he didn't speak. Just lightly smiled that enigmatic smile of his.

The one that usually infuriated her. The one that melted her insides

with longing. The one that seemed to be saved solely for her.

For two, long, painful hours, Deanna covertly watched the strikingly

tall man throw himself into conversation with practically everyone in

the room. Festering, Deanna also endured watching him dance with just

about every woman in the room too. Everyone except her. She/ached/ to

feel the strength of his arms around her, guiding her around the tiny

allotted dance space and all the while hoping that it would end with him

taking her to see the moonlight outside.

But first she had to catch his attention, and that was proving almost

impossible. It seemed that wherever she placed herself, deliberate or

not, somehow, Will always managed to be facing the opposite direction.

But did he look her way? No. Not once. Oh, he knew she was there, it was

painfully obvious by the way that he did ignore her. What was she.

Chopped liver!? When she had reached into her wardrobe earlier that day,

it was with the utmost conviction that she was NOT going to dress for

him. So why was she standing here, in a drop-dead gorgeous, blood red

dress, being ignored, by him?

Her onyx eyes flashed with fire as she watched Wendy Roper sidle up

beside him, and, damn it all, did she really just drag her fingers

across his butt!? Hell! And she just reached up and kissed him! On the

lips! Worse! He responded! Welcomed it! Revelled in it!

Her indignancy, her horror, and her envy, must have been strong enough

for the man in question to finally, slowly glance her way. But when he

did, it was with a smile. But not a friendly smile. It was a knowing

smile. A victorious smile.

He knew, damn him. He knew. But how?

Her mothers words drifted through her senses again; Little one, he

read your mind...

...he read your mind...

/and he's reading it now.../

Deanna sucked in a startled breath as the shocking thought jumped into

her head and her eyes locked with his across the crowded room. Drawn by

the pull of her eyes and the sudden pallor of her skin, as well as

something more that he couldn't put his finger on right then, Will

started moving towards her, heedless of the woman beside him.

When he came to a stop in front of her, Deanna expected to be asked for

a dance, or maybe just taken out onto the dance floor and swept into his

arms. At the very least she expected him to strike up a conversation

with her. But when he simply looked deep into her eyes, reached for her

hand and pulled her after him, out of the room, she followed without

question. Without fear. Without even knowing why, only that she knew

that her life was about to change, and William Riker was the one who was

going to change it.

Now.

Forever.

Tbc...


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter six

/Will felt the slight resistance on his fingers as they walked along.

The only sound that could be heard was their feint footsteps on the path

and the night's creatures. They said nothing. Nothing needed to be said.

Something was about to happen between them. They both knew it. They both

accepted it, until Will felt the gentle tug on his fingers as Deanna

trying to stop him from walking on.

He slowed his pace, realizing that his long strides were probably too

much for her much shorter legs, until he finally took a glance at her

and saw the look of fear upon her moonlit face. She was beautiful, he

thought. He'd always been aware of her beauty, but now, in the

moonlight, with her hair pulled away from her face, her make-up, and

that dress, she was exquisite. Slowing to a reluctant stop, he turned

towards her and drank in her features as she looked up at him with huge

eyes.

"What's wrong?" he murmured, seriously.

Deanna melted with the low, husky, almost drugged tone as he searched

her face for a reason of her fear. And she was afraid she realized. Not

of him, or of what they were probably about to do. But of what her

mother had told her the previous night. It still over-shadowed her

thoughts. Still thrummed through her senses. Still scared her.

She didn't feel ready to share her soul with a man that she had only

kissed, even if her mother's prophecy was right, and he was her intended

Imzadi. It wasn't just about becoming Imzadi, it was about after. It was

about how their lives were going to change afterwards. She was certain

that Will was not going to remain on Betazed and become her life

partner, in any sense of the word. He was a Starfleet officer. He wanted

to travel. He wanted freedom. He wanted more than her.

The Imzadi bond was going to mean nothing to him. It couldn't. Will

would never understand or comprehend what it would mean to both of them.

Or cost.

Deanna looked up into her future lover's blue intense gaze, her eyes

unable to hide her feelings, her passion, or the fear that now sparkled

within her own dark orbs, "I...I mustn't do this, Will. If you have any

feelings for me at all, you won't do anything more than kiss me tonight."

Will's eyes creased in concerned puzzlement, and Deanna felt his

disappointment rush through her, quickly meshing with her own

disappointment at never knowing what it would be like, or feel like,

making love to the one person that destiny had promised to you.

For a long moment, Deanna thought Will was going to agree to her terms.

And for an even longer moment Will silently promised her that he could

just give her a kiss, or two. Slowly, delicately, he lowered his mouth

to hers. Lips that matched one another's fitted perfectly and they both

drank the bliss that poured from deep within.

But as slowly and delicately that they had meshed, they broke apart.

Will raised his palm to her chest and settled it gently against her

pounding heart, his breath, laboured, much like her own. He whispered

hoarsely, "Do you feel it, Deanna?" he questioned, "What's happening

here will not settle with a kiss. We are going to make love tonight, and

I don't think either one of us can stop it." Will watched as her eyes

and her heart, finally accepted that he was right.

Deanna studied Will's face in the muted moonlight, taking in each

feature and imprinting in upon her heart, helping her come to the only

conclusion available. Her one simple word set the last shred of fear

tumbling down. "Where?"

As they both stood on the sidewalk with their hands laced and their

hearts beating with anticipation, Will looked around at the surrounding

area searching for somewhere that they could call their own for a

little while. They didn't see the magnificent houses standing tall and

regal. Nor did they see the moonlight's rays, shining down on them; two

solitary people; Two lovers to be.

Will spied the huge glass dome that was the town centres pride and

joy; the arboretum. It was warm, and it was mutely lit with tiny,

colourful lanterns amongst the flower beds, casting its rainbow-coloured

beams across the blossoming array of exotic blooms. The air was heady

with every essence of flora imaginable. It was romantic and deliciously

quiet. It was also open. And it was perfect.

To the eyes that watched the couple enter the glass doors, they looked

like any other visitors. The only thing that gave them away as lovers

was the linked hands and the speed that their feet were moving.

The oppressive heat and aromatic aroma of moistened earth, along with

the floral scents hit their noses as soon as they entered. Will slid to

a halt, pushing the door closed behind him. He released Deanna's hand

and began searching the immediate area.

Bemused, Deanna asked, "What are you looking for, Will?"

Reaching down, he picked up a length of watering hose, testing its

flexibility, his forehead wreathed in a vexed frown, "Something to

secure the door with, Sweetheart," He deftly wrapped the hose through

the handles. "I don't want any,' surprise' visitors creeping up on us."

Deanna blushed with just the mere image, but her chuckle still left her

mouth anyhow as he continued securely knotting the door shut. "Will, we're

surrounded by telepaths," she said, "they'll know that someone is in

here making out."

"Hell, I know that, Deanna!" he said, exasperated, "I also know that

there are a few nosy, and very un-empathic Terrans around too. Better

to be safe than sorry." he reasoned.

Satisfied that he'd tied the knot so that not even the devil himself

could squeeze through, he took a deep shuddering breath and turned

himself back to the woman who was waiting. The joviality of the moment

vanished along with the last chance to go back, and somehow, it made

all the difference.

Capturing her eyes, Will reached for her hand once more and she

slipped hers into his and they both walked into the shrouded canopy of

the thick, overhanging vines and small trees. They both seemed to know

where they were going even though Will had never entered the glass dome

before. For a moment Will wondered if Deanna had been here previously,

with someone else. It briefly made him falter, uncomfortable with the

thought until he threw her a quick glance and found the answer he was

looking for in her eyes. She hadn't.

Somewhere in the centre of the complex the thick density of foliage

opened out into an area that took Will's breath away. A pool shimmered

in the moonlight that spilled through the overhead glass, the

accelerated sound of tumbling water, louder because of the quiet,

cascaded from a figurine placed strategically in its centre.

Deanna kept on walking past the alluring feature, the gentle tug on

Will's hand leading him back into the what seemed to be the depths of

foliage again. But after only a momentary blackness they came across

another feature and Deanna pulled Will straight into its heart.

It was a gazebo; A beautiful gazebo. But it was no ordinary gazebo. It

was almost overrun with trailing, heavily scented flowers. Will thought

it was Jasmine, but he wasn't sure, only that its scent was

intoxicating, heightening his already heightened body. And better still,

it had a never ending bench running around the inside and Will imagined

that on a glorious day, like so many were on Betazed, that this was a

magical place to be. It even had a small drinking fountain, its trickle

echoing once more in the stillness of the night.

But it was the object in its centre that had captured his attention; it

was a chaise longue; A very largish chaise longue. Its presence as to why it was

there was painfully clear leaving only images to ponder on. He turned questioning

eyes towards Deanna. "Is that what I think it's for?" he asked, his

voice raising with humorous surprise.

Deanna swallowed as she too, stared fascinated at the thickly cushioned

seating area. "I...I guess," she said. "I've heard people say they come

here for...for..." She couldn't finish the sentence, searching his eyes

in the moonlight, "It...it comes highly recommended." she finished

bravely.

Will laughed out loud at her incredulous announcement, the hearty,

rich sound resounding in the vast silence, "Highly recommended!? Miss

Troi, have you been eavesdropping on your friends romantic discussions?"

She sniffed derisively, "I go to college. I hear...things." She trailed

off lamely, ashamed at revealing a little more of her natural curiosity,

and her innocence.

Will reached for her hands again and tugged her towards him, pulling

her closer than before. Close enough to kiss her, if he wanted. His

voice held a hint of pride; A hint of challenge. A hint of hope, "And

you wanted to see if the rumours were true, eh?" he grinned at her

upturned smiling face.

Deanna didn't answer him. She couldn't. But she didn't need to as her

silence said enough and at last - at long last, Will finally settled

his lips against hers, and let the night begin.

Tbc...


	7. Chapter 7

Here we step the fun up and the rating. This is an M for a few chapters, so be warned, and if not warned, then enjoy ;)

Chapter seven

Will kissed her so thoroughly, so deeply, so...erotically, that

Deanna's head began to swim with desire, making her feel drunk, and

very, very wanted. Will's hands reverently ran up and down her body, his

need to touch and explore as fevered as the tongue that swept in and

out of her mouth. Each time Will plunged in his moist tongue to dance

with hers she felt the tug deep within her giving her a taste of what

intimacy was going to feel like when his body finally joined with hers.

Will felt Deanna shudder and gently pulled away from her lips their

heaving breaths mingling as they slowly opened their drugged, heavy

eyes. Will licked his tender lips, relishing the sweet moisture that

lingered there, the taste sparking his already swollen loins into

readiness again. His eyes dropped to Deanna's mouth and noticed the

feint tremble. He lifted one arm and tenderly stroked the soft pad of

his thumb across her lower lip. "Are you afraid of me, Deanna?"

He saw the flare of sureness in not only her eyes, but her entire body as

it came alive along with her need to tell him that she wasn't, "No...No,

I'm not afraid of you, Will. I..." She confessed, "I'm afraid of...other

things, but not of you."

He understood. Lightly pecking her lips with his, Will tightened his

hold on her body. The arms that held her loosely before now tightened

as he spoke, his voice louder, urgent even as his eyes bored into hers,

asking her very soul the same question, "Do - you - trust - me, Deanna?"

Deanna didn't quite know where the long silent moment came from, or

why, but it did even though she knew deep in her melting heart why. She

slid her hands up higher fastening them behind his neck, pulling him

back towards her waiting mouth. Her whispered, confident answer, "Always." got

lost in the drugging kiss she bestowed upon him.

Deanna felt herself being lowered; the back of her knees touching the

cushioned seating. She allowed herself to be seated half expecting Will

to follow, but instead, he slowly dropped to his knees on the floor

before her. She didn't realise how tightly her knees were closed until

she felt him softly kneading her outer thighs, his eyes never leaving

her face.

Forcing herself to relax she released the stiffness in her muscles and

let Will create his magic on her. Now at a vantage point Deanna took

delight in controlling what was happening between them. She began to

trace her fingertips along his masculine contours; his strong, hard

jaw line, his ears - far too small for his overall size, but beautiful,

non-the-less. Her own thumb ran along his full bottom lip, her eyes,

heavy with desire, watching the motion until she could stand the

separation no longer. Slipping her long fingernail between his lips,

opening them wider, she moaned before settling her own mouth against his

again, and as she did that, the legs that Will had been working on and

her dress that he had ridden up inch by inch, finally gave way and he

moved his body between her thighs.

Unable to, and not even wanting to pretend that what was happening

between them was chaste, Will roughly dragged her heated body

against his. He could feel her warmth against his stomach and growled

when it dawned on him that all that was separating him from her was a

tiny scrap of lace. This time when Will ripped his mouth away from hers

and held her face within his massive hands, gasping with unleashed

agony, again he asked her, "Do you trust me, Deanna?"

As Deanna's dreamy eyes opened and stared deeply into his, she gently chewed on

her already swollen bottom lip until Will moved his hands away from her

face and down to her bare thighs. Her gaze followed their descent and

then finally understood what he was asking of her; Will was giving her one,

last, final chance to stop what was about to happen.

She sucked in a shaky breath and released it along with one, solitary

Word. "Yes." Her body throbbed with need and expectancy and she was

More than prepared to accept whatever was about to happen, but even so

Deanna was determined to fight against Will becoming her Imzadi.

But she could no longer fight her bodily craving. It was time, and if it meant giving

away her soul to feel what she was about to feel, then so be it. But she

_was_ going to fight it, all the way.

Once more Will surprised her when he dropped his head to her knees and

kissed the tender spot on its inside, and then duplicated the movement

on the other side. Her heart fluttered with unease at the intimate

motion. It wasn't what she was expecting. But then she really didn't

know what to expect. Was this the normal course of love-making, or was

it something that Terran's did? She just didn't know and that scared

her a little.

Nervously, Deanna watched his head as he systematically worked his way

along her inner thighs, but by the time he'd reached barely a few inches

from his ultimate goal her breathing was laboured and she was clinging

on to the seat's edge and her head was thrown back as she waited for...

something!

Deanna felt Will gently stroke his finger across her lace panties aware

that he was pleased to find that they were already saturated with

need. She couldn't stop the tiny pants from leaving her lungs as she

waited for whatever was to happen next. And on she waited. He was killing

her with his slowness until she dimly realised that he was still giving

her a chance to halt the inevitable.

When he slowly moved his hand away from her, bringing them to rest on

the outside of her knees once more she dragged her heavy head back to

his face to find that Will was watching her intently. Gently, he moved

back pushing her knees back together and Deanna thought he'd had a change

of heart; that he was the one who was going to stop. But when he slowly slid

his hands up the outside of her thighs and found the thin elastic strip

of her panties she realized that he was asking her consent to remove

them along with yet another chance for him to stop.

She answered Will by lifting her bottom just high enough for him to

slip his fingers beneath the band and tug them towards him, pulling

them down the entire length of her slim legs. He lifted her feet, marvelling

at how sexy she looked in the high heels and very little else, making a

mental note to himself that if in the future they ever got together, he would have

her parading around their bedroom in nothing else _but_ those high heels.

And maybe a sexy smile. And just a touch of make-up.

But that would be all.

Will watched the woman before him with shadowed eyes. He'd never done

anything like this on a first date before. With other women it had been

about getting the act done, for both of them. But with Deanna, it was

different. It _felt _different. Something special was about to happen.

He didn't know what, but his gut, his heart, told him that Deanna Troi

was going to need everything he'd got, and he was happy, and proud, to

give it. Deliriously happy.

Deanna looked down and studied the man between her knees and audibly

gasped when he moved her knees back apart - even further this time and a

rush of cool air tickled her sex. Will was going to give her the most

intimate kiss of all and Deanna wasn't quite sure what to do about it.

Her whole body began to tremble with fear, excitement and

anticipation. Unable to look at him any longer, Deanna frantically looked

around the gazebo at anything and everything until she felt Will's hot

breath reheat her exposed genitalia as his searing, wet tongue touched

her.

The unexpected, sudden and wondrous gasped, "Oh!" left her mouth as she

felt him flick against the sensitive bud sending a kick to her womb

that only screamed out for more, and it was then she let her head fall back

again and she allowed herself to be carried away on the tidal wave of

wonder and ecstasy that had engulfed her heart, body and soul.

She tasted of paradise, Will surmised as he gently shifted his own now

very uncomfortable lap to accommodate the bulging, welcome heat in his

pants. What he would have done at that moment to have been able to shuck

his clothes and bury himself in paradise. But he couldn't, not yet. Will

was about to make history with this woman. He didn't know why, or how,

only that he was certain that he was about to go on the most exquisite

ride of his life.

Deanna struggled against what was happening to her body. The insistent

lapping of Will's tongue against her felt strange; Delicious. An inner

heat began to boil deep inside of her and she felt herself begin to

panic, the sensation unlike anything she had ever felt or imagined

before and she was suddenly terrified. Deanna had to stop it from happening, she

just had to. Freedom was imminent, but she was terrified of the escape.

She heard her own desperate soft moans of, _No, no, no_! tickle her

mind unaware that the words were slipping from between her lips too.

But with her last heartfelt, _No!,_ she felt her legs shift higher and

Wills tongue deepen the contact, deepen the ache releasing a strangled

gasped, 'Oh!' from her. Deanna felt Will's triumphant thought rush over

her as she struggled to keep herself upright, her position more

precarious than ever - in more ways than one.

Will was winning against her, she could feel it. As her body began to

rock against him the movement unfamiliar to her innocent loins, Deanna

felt herself begin to fly. Over and over, her heart and her mind

groaned_, 'No'_ but her body cried, _'Yes!_' The battle was relentless, futile even,

but she struggled on.

The war raged on, but the man between her knees was oblivious to her battle,

only intent on winning his own war. He could sense her fighting him; her fear

drenching him from head to toe. But she was so near, so close, she just

needed one minuscule moment of acceptance, and he'd send her off like an

exploding rocket. He had to change tactics.

So Will touched her.

He didn't know who was surprised more when Deanna shot back away from

his probing fingers, her eyes ablaze with shock and embarrassment as her

legs instantly squeezed closed, shutting him out. But it didn't stop

the liquid throbbing from coursing through her body utterly in tune with her

pounding heartbeat. It matched his.

For a long moment they simple stared at each other; his eyes,

glistening like sapphires, hers like glorious, luminous orbs of jet,

wide and wild like the breath that left her mouth. The silence hung

between them, waiting. Will dropped his eyes to her swollen lips and he

licked his own, the simple movement sending a flare of remembrance to her

womb as her head filled with regret, and longing.

Somehow, Will sensed the loss and the need, and when he gently tugged her

back towards him, pulled her knees apart and moved in between them

again there was no resistance. But this time, when his tongue touched

her, it was against her own as he began a relentless assault on her mouth.

Deanna inched nearer to him, her body unable to sustain the loss of

having him so far away. Locked. That was how she felt; locked, and Will

held the key and as he continued to batter her defences down she felt

her entire being begin to open like a dew-drenched rose bud.

And Will felt it too. When he reached down between their bodies and

gently touched her again she was ready for it. A long finger began to

mimic his tongue and he felt her begin a mimic of her own. He pushed

and she pushed back, harder, wanting - begging for more. Gone was the

struggle deep within her that was holding her back. The woman was emerging,

the one that wanted to feel; To learn; To _love_. The fire began to build

inside her again and her entire insides; her womb, her belly, her mind, and

her heart filled with an overwhelming desire to be set free.

Will threaded his fingers into her hair, gripping the back of her neck,

turning her head so that he could plunder her mouth even deeper still.

She was close, so close. He felt her hands caress the vast expanse of

his chest, her nails digging into the taut muscles that he knew rippled

with his own tension. He wanted her so much. Will ached to get so deep inside

her that he let himself drift off into a dream, a dream that he hoped

the night would let come alive.

He felt rather than heard her explosion in the way her body went taut,

gripping his hand between her now firmly clamped thighs and the sudden

release of hot liquid that poured into his palm along with the intimate

throbbing of a woman spent. And by the way her fingers left his chest and rose to his

neck, ripping their mouths apart as she stared open-mouthed and stunned

at his overjoyed and somewhat revered face.

And then he found himself flat on his ass watching her fleeing form

scuttling away from him as though the devil himself was hard on her

heels. Her billowing skirts rippled in a multitude of glorious reds as

it danced with the moonlight that poured in through the glass overhead as

she ran away from him.

It took him a full ten seconds for the shock to pass and sanity prevail

before he jumped to his feet and set off after her. "Deanna!" he called, his

voice echoing though the quiet darkness as he followed her retreating

path. He couldn't see her, but he could hear the light tapping of her

shoes and she was still running - away from him. As he chased after

her his way only lit by the small colourful lights that lit up the

flower beds, Will frantically wondered what had gone wrong. He was so

sure she was enjoying herself, and so sure that it was what she had

wanted, that he was left, quite frankly, totally mystified, and scared.

"Deanna! Please stop! Let's talk about this." Even he heard the fear in

his voice as it bounced around the huge structure. His only answer was

silence; Total, eerie silence, which instantly told him she'd stopped

running.

But where was she? Will was pretty certain that she hadn't left the

building because she had been running in the wrong direction; towards

the back. Will groaned. Maybe there was another way out - an emergency

exit. There had to be one and he kicked himself for forgetting about it.

He stopped running, dragging his feet to an unwelcome halt and let his

laboured and fear-ridden breath ease a little. He stared deep into the

surrounding flora trying to hopefully catch a glimpse of his quarry, but

she had disappeared - merging herself into the dark shadows.

"Damn!" he angrily muttered, his heartbeat still pounding in his chest

- and not just from the exertion but from the loss of her. Deanna. Will

began to miss her in the worst possible way and it shocked him. How

could that be? He hardly knew her. But then, he thought, he'd gotten

closer to her than any other woman he'd been with. He had to find her.

But then a tidal wave of common sense drenched him from head to toe. He

felt it start in his dense head, squeeze his loins and then dribble on

down to his feet. He could find her, he realised, he had the ability.

He didn't know how, or why, only that if he put a mind to it, he could find her.

Sense her.

He figured it was his years of training with Starfleet that had honed

his senses; Learning to seek out silent, hidden enemies had been par

for the course. He also figured that if you wanted something - or

someone, bad enough, you could draw on your gut feelings. And so that's

what Will did.

He stood ramrod still, illuminated only by the moonlight and forced

his mind to empty; calm itself. Once more his eyes surveyed the dense

area letting his experience and his heart do the job at hand, taking in

the various structures - seeing which one would hide a terrified woman.

It took a few moments until his head and eyes were drawn to an archway

of sorts. The flowers that created the structure were stunning. Rich,

purple blossoms hung like bunches of grapes from its branches, but

beyond the arch lay a black area of some kind. His eyes travelled above

the structure gauging the depth. It was enough to hide in, he surmised.

Sure, slow footsteps took him nearer and he felt his heartbeat begin to

hammer in his chest. She was here, he could feel it. He put one

tentative foot between the arch, and then another, lowering his tall

frame beneath the dangling flowers. His eyes adjusted automatically to

the somewhat dimmer surrounding as he swung them furtively around, and

even though he knew he'd find her there, he was still mildly surprised

when he found himself staring into a pair of wide, cautious, ebony eyes.

Tbc...


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter eight

Even as Will slowly approached her Deanna was backing away and he

Quickly realised that she was going to run again. Quicker than a bullet from a

gun his hand shot out and caught the soft flesh of her arm just as she

spun to run. "Deanna." he quietly pleaded.

"Let me go!" she cried, her voice dripping with dread. "Please!"

But he didn't, he couldn't and he pulled her around clasping her

other arm as she fought like a demon against him. He had to pull her

closer to him, mostly to stop her flailing hands from doing any damage

to him, but also because he needed to comfort her; stop her from being

so afraid of him. "Hush," he crooned. "it's okay."

Looking up into his face, her eyes and cheeks now awash with tears, she

sobbed, "Let me go. Just let me go."

Will dragged her trembling body up hard against his and released her

arms letting his hand rest on the back of her head as he settled his

chin upon her shoulder. His mouth was right against her ear and she heard

his tortured, "I can't, baby. I'm sorry, I just can't. We both know that

I can't let you go. Not now."

He didn't have to speak the rest of his declaration, _Not ever_, it

scorched her soul as the silent words reached out to her and with them,

came release. Deanna felt the dam burst inside her and she began to cry

in earnest and Will held her tightly in his unwavering arms. She was

wrapped in sheer misery and Will had absolutely no idea of the reason

why. She'd wanted him, he knew that. She even seemed to be willing,

that he also knew. Okay, it had to be her first time so maybe that was

it. But he was also conscious that he was the one she'd chosen to be her

first, so just what was the problem? He was totally and utterly baffled.

He was also totally and utterly determined. This night was meant to be,

of that he had no doubt. He was just going to have to work a little

harder at seducing the lady currently bawling like a baby in his arms.

His kiss, when it came, simply wiped away everything; the tears, the

pain and the doubt. It was as devastating as any storm she had ever

been in. He had captured her, and enslaved her, with nothing more than

the heat of his mouth on hers, his tongue sweeping through her mouth,

taking possession like a warrior; a conquering hero.

But what then? A hero couldn't save her from herself, or from the

secret she fought so valiantly to keep hidden. But for the moment, she'd

let him kiss away the tremors and fears that consumed her soul until she

was strong enough to fight him off.

But Will had other ideas and he was pitiless. Wherever his giant hands

Touched, they burned, scorching a path between her buttocks and her

head. He either didn't seem to know where to touch next - or he wanted

to touch everything, everywhere. Her body was crushed against his

entire rock hard body and she could feel the hardest part pushing

against her stomach.

In the end his hands finally found a home; One nestled in her hair so

that he could manoeuvre her head to accommodate his almost desperate

mouth, the other settled in the small of her back, pushing her tight

against him, letting his need get as close to heaven as it was going to

get at that time.

Deanna arched against him of her own free will as her own hunger

overtook her body. _He could have me_, she dimly thought, _right here _

_and now, and I wouldn't stop him._ And all it would have taken was a

movement from her; a sign. She'd never felt so alive, so...absorbed

before and it was all down to the man that was in her arms, and now,

she admitted, in her heart.

She was still in a daze when he finally lifted his head, struggling for

Breath and sanity as he fought to stop the primal urge to hoist her to

his waist and take her hard and fast, right there and then and know

that it would be like nothing they'd experienced before.

Reluctantly Will swung his eyes away from her flushed, beautiful face

looking at anything but her. He was trembling. Deanna loved the fact

that she could make him tremble with need, just as he'd made her. She was

also aware that she didn't want to let go of the feeling, or go back to

the life she led before he'd come along. Deanna needed completion, but

when Will disentangled his body from hers and stepped back, she knew

she'd blown her chances with her silly, immature behaviour.

Will studied her now more unsure than he'd even been in his life. He

should walk away from her. He should leave her be. Deanna wasn't ready for

a sexual relationship. She didn't seem ready for any kind of

relationship and he couldn't believe how wrong he'd gotten it. He made

one very unwanted step backwards but stopped when he heard a, _No!_

_Don't go_, ripple through his mind. Shock alone stopped his feet from

moving any further.

When she'd sensed his withdrawal Deanna desperately tried to switch

off the negative emotions that surged from the depths of her heart. She

was torn in so many different ways; Did she, didn't she? Could she,

would she? And pushing up in between them all like a volcano seeking

release from the very base of her soul was only one possible answer.

Deanna had only one way of making Will stay now and so staring up into

his face, losing herself in blue eyes that watched as he waited nervously but

patiently and so longingly, she brazenly reached out a trembling hand

and trailed a nail across his chest making sure she scraped a puckered,

tiny nipple on passing.

Will sucked in a painful breath, but she knew it wasn't because she'd

hurt him. It was an intimate reaction to her touch. Nervously, she did

it again, with the other tiny bud this time and was rewarded with a

similar reaction. Gaining bravado, she ventured lower. Will's breath

held in his throat, his eyes dropping to watch her fingertip following

the line of his pants before taking the plunge to trail the length of

his straining hardness.

It was then that Will finally sparked into life, suddenly scared of losing the

last ounce of his control, and angry at not being able to. Grabbing her

hand he snatched it away from his throbbing body. "Don't!" he snarled,

"Don't play with me, Deanna."

Where had the anger come from? Deanna wondered, as her eyes flew to his

face and registered the change from need to refusal. Aware of the double

entendre he'd growled, guilt instantly swept over her as she realized just how

mean she was being to him.

But damn it all, he was being mean to her too. Why all this fooling

around? Why all this furtiveness? Why couldn't he just take her to bed

and get it over and done with. Like normal people. Like Betazoid's?

She inwardly groaned. _Because he isn't a Betazoid, you dimwit._

_Because he's special. Because you are special to him. Because he_

_deserves more, more than what you are giving him_.

_Because he is your Imzadi._

Will watched a variety of emotions flicker across her upturned face.

They ranged from a spark of anger that probably matched his own. Pain,

Despair, and then finally resignation. He stood still and waited but

what he was waiting for he didn't know. He was only aware that he'd had

enough of her games and now he was putting the ball firmly in her

court. If she stayed, then so be it. If she walked, he wasn't going to

stop her, regardless of how much agony it would cause him.

But she didn't walk. In fact she stepped up closer to him, reached one

hand behind her and tugged at the zipper that kept the bodice of her

dress tight to her. The other hand she snaked up behind his head and

pulled his face down to her open mouth, but not before her murmured,

_"I...can...do...this..."_ reached his stunned ears.

Will heard rather than felt the rustle of her dress slip down her body,

and then the way she gently shifted her body away from his to allow it to

drop to her waist, its thin spaghetti straps released by the barely

noticeable drop of each arm. It wasn't until he allowed himself the

luxury of raising his lax limbs to touch the bare skin on her back that

a surge of adrenalin kicked into gear and with a deep breath, he pulled

her hard against him and devoured her willing mouth wishing that his

skin was as naked as hers so that he could feel her.

With both arms linked behind his head, Will was free to roam the creamy

contours of her body, sliding his large hands along the frame of her rib

cage, daring himself to raise them higher to encase her heated breasts.

But he didn't dare to. Oh, mercy, he wanted to, so badly, but after her

previous reactions to his forwardness he just didn't have the courage,

or the desire to have her running away from him again, so he reluctantly

dropped his hands lower until they rested on the bunched up silky

material of her dress that rode low upon her hips.

As he tucked his exploring fingers beneath the material he almost

groaned out loud as the material slipped from his grasp and pooled at

her feet. _Now I've done it, _he thought to himself, _She's gonna go_

_running._ But without missing a heartbeat he felt her shift her feet

and kick the dress away. _So good so far_, he thought to himself, but he

still didn't trust her. He broke his lips away from hers with an audible

sucking noise, the minuscule sound still managing to echo in the

confined, dark area.

Will couldn't stop himself from looking downwards; She was beautiful.

She was more than beautiful. She was stunning. Deanna was as naked as

the day she was born, and didn't seem to care about it. Quite the

opposite, in fact.

She knew what he was thinking. "Betazoid's welcome nudity, it is a very

strong part of our culture, Will." And then she whispered the mother of

all invitations as she reached out and captured his hand, lifting it to

her upper body. "Touch me."

He swallowed deeply as he settled his trembling, but eager palm against

the soft mound of her breast, his heady eyes drifting shut as the pang

of longing throbbed through to his loins. He wanted her, so badly, but

after everything that had happened tonight, he didn't have enough trust

in her to follow on through.

He felt her clasp his wrist and slowly tug. His eyes flew open as he

felt himself begin to fall forward; she was pulling him to the ground.

Managing to steady himself before falling in a heap on top of her, he

guided himself to a sensible position beside her, finding himself on his

knees as she lay seductively prone on the dirt beneath her.

Will felt an idiot; seducing a woman in a flower bed. It seemed to be

the lowest of the low, and he couldn't believe he'd gotten himself into

such a ridiculous position, or situation and he went to tell her so, but

she second guessed him by touching a silencing finger to his lips,

"Shhh, it's okay. Touch me again, Will, I'm not running away anymore."

Tenderly removing her hand from his face he stared deeply into her

eyes and knew that this time, she meant it. Her words were full of

conviction and need. Reaching up, Will removed his top, dragging his

hair up, leaving it looking all spiky, and then he unbuttoned his pants. But

he didn't take them off. He wasn't ready for that, and neither was she.

Now at a vantage point, Will leaned over and kissed her deeper than

He'd ever kissed her before, swallowing the shudder of her response as

she reacted to the primal motion, her fevered fingers reaching for his

bare, heated torso, the freedom to do so feeling exceptionally

exquisite and Deanna sighed almost with relief.

Despite Deanna giving him free reign to touch her body, Will held his

hands at bay happy to just settle one hand on her small waist. But even

so he could feel her body gently gyrating, pushing towards him,

beckoning him to touch and explore.

Deanna was almost frantic with hunger. Why wasn't he touching her!?

Why wasn't he giving her what they both wanted!? She moaned silently.

He continued to plunder her mouth as though it was his cock invading

her body and she felt his erotic thoughts seep through her, giving her an

intimate taste of what was to come, but still he wouldn't touch her.

And then it sunk in to her sex-infused brain. He was scared, scared of

her letting him down again; scared of her turning tail and running;

scared of actually making love to her. William Riker was scared of doing

what came as natural to him as breathing all because she hadn't

succumbed to his charms within the first five minutes of their crazy meeting.

_Wel_l, she thought_, that's about to change._

In a heartbeat, she had reversed their positions. To say that Will was

shocked was an understatement. She shocked him even further when she

tugged at the waistband of his pants in an attempt to push them from his

long legs, her face wreathed in concentration as she battled against the

unusual task.

Will chuckled nervously, "Whoa! Here, let me help." lifting himself so

that the job became a whole heap easier. Deanna moved them down his legs

and pulled them off the other end, dropping them close by her own dress.

Will felt naked; exposed, and it took a monumental effort from himself

to stop his hands from covering his nether regions. Deanna sat back on

her heals and surveyed the sight before her. He had got one hell of a

body, something she already knew he would have. Just looking at his

clothed frame had told that he was muscular and lean, and hairy, everywhere.

Betazoid men sported practically no hair apart from whatever

was on their head and a small thatch, 'down below', much like herself.

But Will was covered from head to toe, some places denser than others,

and she couldn't resist fingering the tiny curls that sprang from his

chest.

Her eyes flickered to his groin. He still sported the nondescript,

non-fussy standard Starfleet underwear. She knew they were because in

her wildest dreams, she couldn't imagine Will wearing them otherwise. He

looked like a boxer man; elastic and tight. And red. Or black.

Lordy, her tummy flipped when the provocative image filled her mind

and before Deanna even realised what she'd said, she told him crisply,

huskily, "Take them off, Will."

No one was more surprised that Will when he said in a very clear and

determined voice, "No," He coughed low in his throat before emending

himself as a slight blush lit up his features, "Not yet."

A moment of silence hung between them as they both weighed up his

strange refusal. Deanna was certain it was nothing to do with him being

shy - far from it_. Perhaps_, she thought_, he's still expecting me to_

_run, even though I've promised that I won't._ An image of him running

through the streets dressed in nothing but a small pair of standard

Starfleet underpants created a tiny smile before she effectively wiped

it away behind her fingers.

_Okay_, she thought, as she suddenly moved across and straddled his

lap, _here goes nothing_.

Will's hands automatically went to her tiny waist, spanning it easily

within his huge hands, watching her through heavy lidded eyes, waiting and

admiring her nude form as she made herself comfortable upon his rapidly

hardening lap. He shifted her higher, moving her away from him, unable

to handle what she was doing to him, but moving her up meant she was now

against his stomach and he moaned as he felt her heat and her moistness

upon him.

Deanna crowed silently at the effect that she was having on him. This

was sex - pure sex. Nothing romantic, or Imzadi-ish about it. By taking

the initiative she had reduced the chance of the impending union

becoming anything more than a sexual release - a release they both

needed, badly.

Dropping both hands onto the hard planes of Will's chest, she steadily

met his eyes in the dimness. Will watched her and realized that she had

changed. He still felt her pull; still felt an urgency to join with her,

on every level, and he thought she'd wanted that too. But not now.

Deanna was ready, but it was only her body that was ready. Her feelings

had been pushed elsewhere for the time being.

Will wasn't sure if he liked the change, especially when she whispered

urgently, "Make love to me, Will. Now."

He felt himself shrivel and die beneath her from the effect of her harsh

Words which instantly reduced his libido to nothing. To prove it, he pushed

on her hips, moving her backwards, back to where she started. Only this

time time she met softness instead of solid muscle. She searched his

eyes in the dimness, wordlessly.

She didn't understand what she'd done wrong, and Will felt her

helplessness wash through him and his heart melted. Tugging on her

upper arms, he pulled her upper body down to his, kissing her cheek as

it settled beside his. "I'm sorry, sweetheart, but I can't just make

love to you."

He felt her blush against his face and threaded his hand into her hair,

massaging the back of her head, holding her still when he felt her

trying to move out of his grasp. "Deanna," he whispered huskily, "I

won't make love to you, but I will make love _with you_."

Deanna edged herself up so that she could study his handsome face.

"Isn?t it the same thing?" she asked, quietly.

Will laughed quietly as he answered her, hugging her trembling body

closer to his, warming it with his ardour. "No, sweetheart, it is most

definitely not."

She slumped against his shoulder again, defeated, which puzzled

Will. Why did she react like that!? he wondered. What in the world was

going on here? They lay silently for several long moments. Will's hands

continued to gently stroke along her spine as minds churned over the

problem at hand.

Will knew he wanted her. He also knew he more than liked her - liked

her enough to work through whatever was putting its nasty big foot smack

bang in the middle of their relationship. But what relationship? he

worried. They were getting nowhere and he didn't know why. Something was

holding the woman in his arms back. Something that was over-riding her

basic needs. Something that was important.

_But what?_

If this problem had happened to him on Earth he would have said the

woman beneath him was having a problem with her morals. Or her age. Or

perhaps it would be guilt, or simply that she just didn't want him enough.

It happens. Not often, but it happens.

But none of the things related to Deanna, none. So he figured it was a

cultural thing, a Betazoid thing. He could only ask. "Deanna, is there

something I should know - about you...or us?" He felt her stiffen; her

body going rigid alongside his. She even tried pushing up from him to

get away, but he held on to her. "Deanna?" he demanded.

"No. No, there's nothing. It's just me being silly. I'm sorry." She

hurriedly murmured before kissing him briefly on the cheek.

Will didn't believe her for a minute. Gently he tried again. "Deanna,

when we make love are we going to be okay...after?"

"Yes, of course!" she told him.

He tried again, "Am I going to get frog-marched in front of a priest or

something ; forced to marry you because I've taken your...innocence?" he

joked.

She laughed weakly at his attempt at humour, "No! Nothing like that."

And then she thought about what he'd just said. "You know I've

never...?" she asked with dread.

He nodded once, "Yes. I know that all this..." he searched for the

right word, "playing around is because you're scared, and you don't know

what to do," he hurriedly amended himself, "but that's okay, I

understand. What's happening between us_ is_ scary."

He took her chin in his strong fingers forcing her to face him

head on before continuing, "But Deanna, it is going to be the most

beautiful experience of your life, if you'll just let me in. I can show

you what it can be like for us - What it's going to be like for us." he

emended.

God, she wanted to believe him. She wanted so much for him to take her

in hand and love her in the same way that he loved other women;

naturally; honestly. But she couldn't be honest back. She didn't dare be

honest back. But she wanted to try. She really wanted Will to show her

how it could be. All she had to do was hold on to her soul. "Okay." she

whispered.

One simple word slipped passed her lips and everything changed again.

Before she changed her mind again Will pulled her back to him and

kissed her, but his time there was no holding back. He let his hands roam

where they wanted; touching her everywhere, stroking her everywhere.

Delving into everywhere, letting his body climb back up to its

previous uncomfortable state again and he gritted his teeth against the

strain of holding back. He wanted her to be ready for him. He wanted her

to be unable to stop when he pushed too far.

She scooted back, sitting upright on him and he moaned as he felt her

scorch him through the fabric of his underwear, but seconds later, he

gasped when she reached down and freed him from the tight restraint as

she settled her small fingers around him.

"Deanna!" he warned, the growl coming up from his boots as he struggled

against doing what he ached to do to her. The back of his head buried

itself deeper into the grainy dirt as it suddenly dropped back, the

simple power of her sensitive touch jerking everything into life within

him. _Not yet, Riker. God, not yet_, he silently moaned.

But she had other ideas. Dropping back down along his length, she

guided him toward her, gasping a little at the sensations that rocked

through her at the first intimate touch against her heat. He was so hard, so

swollen and so large and Deanna began to tremble as she imagined what it

was going to feel like as he entered her.

Will pulled her fingers away from him, taking both her hands and

imprisoning them beside his head, allowing their bodies alone to

complete the imminent union. He gently moved against her own movements,

slowly parting her, opening her until he finally entered her, going slowly

deeper and deeper, allowing her to be the one to draw him inside of

herself, encasing him in her damp but searing heat.

She felt..._Oh god_, he couldn't put words to the feelings he felt as he

closed his eyes and let those feelings control him. Will didn't think

he'd had ever welcomed a sensation as eagerly as he did this one. It

surpassed every other intimate instant he'd know, purely because of the

fight beforehand; the wait.

Or maybe it was because of something else; that something more that was

filling his soul. Was it love? It couldn't be. Not yet. It was too soon.

It wasn't possible. It wasn't sensible. He'd never fallen in love.

_Until now._

As the thought crept into his head Will opened his eyes and let

himself see the woman he was falling in love with. She was watching him

intently and her black eyes glistened, captured by a tiny shard of light

that had found a way through the shadows.

He felt..._honoured_. The rush of tender emotion swept through him and

he quickly released her hands and pulled her head to his, settling his

mouth against her and letting the tidal waves of desire begin.

Deanna's fingers dug into the soft dirt either side of Will's head as

the shock of what Will was doing to her, and not only her mouth, but her body

too. He'd dropped his hands to her hips, taking up the master role,

guiding her so that he could fill her more completely. She felt him

shove down his underpants a little more, moving them away enough to

expose himself fully and then grasping her hips again firmly, he thrust

upwards, just once, filling her deeply and completely.

Deanna cried out, breaking her mouth away from his as the strange

intrusion penetrated the deep, untouched, internal heart of her. For a

moment Will thought he'd hurt her but when she moved her hips a little

and found his open mouth again with hers, he knew it hadn't been about

the pain, but surprise - a nice surprise.

The pace started off slowly. He glided in and barely out of her over

and over again, every movement threatening to turn his gut inside out.

It was so controlled; so alive; so intense, and then something else. Something that

kept fluttering in the back of his mind; A word. It wasn't until they

unanimously began to quicken the pace as they loved together that

the word began to become coherent.

_No... _

_No... no... no ..._

Will was perplexed. Why in the world was she muttering, no? What in

Hell's name was she fighting against? The imminent orgasm? The fear of

letting herself go so completely? Him releasing himself inside her -

which he didn't plan on doing? Whatever it was, it was scaring her

senseless.

What he did know was that it was making him angry. He felt it in the

way he suddenly gripped her head with one hand, threading his fist into

her hair, yanking it to a position so that he could literally assault

her mouth. And he did, brutally. The other hand, drawn to the base of

her spine, pushed down as he thrust upwards, time and time again. He

pounded into her - relentlessly, intently, angrily.

But instead of having the desired effect, it did the opposite. Will

felt her respond to the harsh treatment by the way she began to squirm

against him, trying maximise the contact between them, forcing her over

sensitised bud to brush against him. The way her tongue wrestled with

his whilst releasing tiny, pleading whimpers, and by the way her body went taut,

trying to hold on, but trying to let go.

But still he heard that word, _No_! Only now it was a desperate_, No._ But

it was a no that wanted to become a _yes_.

Will suddenly released her mouth and pushed up away from his body, his

movements hurried, spiteful even. Roughly gripping her hips, he held her

above him, just for a moment, then pushed her down onto him, hard. But with

that push a word squeezed between his tense, drawn back lips, the

effort of his spent control trickled down his temples into his hair.

"Yes!" he hissed.

Deanna's eyes went wide when the angry word spat from his mouth. He'd

heard her, she realised with shock. He'd heard her futile effort to stop herself

from moaning the one word that she truly wanted to say. The one word that

would change her universe. The one word that would tie her soul to his, and she

didn't want to say it. She wouldn't. She couldn't.

But, Oh, God, she wanted to, so much.

What she would have given to be able to experience the ultimate

Betazoid gift with the man she loved was beyond comprehension, and she

had it here, just a heartbeat away; A word away. All she had to do was

open her soul, her heart and her mind and let Will share it. But she

couldn't. She wouldn't.

But the man beneath her was intent on extracting it from her, one way

or the other. He believed he was trying to get her body to release its

precious gift, but if he'd known what was really at stake she was sure

it would be her dumped on her butt watching him run away, and she wasn't

about to risk it, no matter what her mother had told her. No matter how

much it cost her. Or hurt her.

_Damn her!_ Will seethed. She wasn't giving in. But he had another

surprise for her, because neither was he. In the space of a heartbeat, Will

rolled her beneath him and managed to shuck his underpants along the way

crushing a multitude of greenery as he did so. But he didn't care, and

nor did she.

Deanna felt her hair become heavy and gritty with dirt but it was too

late to worry about it now. She had more important things on her mind.

Like loving the man that relentlessly crashed his way through her

carefully erected barriers.

Will began to move again rising himself above her like an Adonis. His

skin glistened with moisture, his eyes drugged with passion as they

studied her features. Bending at the elbow, Will lowered his head,

sealing his lips with hers where his tongue sought out and found hers

and begun swirling and dancing, soaking up her own desire.

Now that he was free of the his cumbersome clothing, Will didn't hold back.

Embedded to the absolute hilt, he pushed Deanna's knees higher and

further back and she gasped at the extra depth it had created. He was so

deep that she could feel him against her womb, searching for deliverance.

Reaching for home.

Together they began to climb again and felt their heartbeats thumping

In unison as the tension increased tenfold. Will tore his mouth away from

hers needing to watch her fall apart in his arms, soothed by the

missing negative word that had filled his head before. Now he just needed to hear

her cry out another.

He gripped her chin, planting a quick sharp kiss upon her gasping

mouth, searching her eyes as he fought to control his imminent

explosion. "Say it, Deanna. _Say it_!" he pleaded, unable to hide the

anger that laced what should have been a euphoric moment between them.

"No!" she cried, "I can't! I won't!" as she tried to tear her face from

his vice-like grip.

Her eyes were filled with terror, tears and frenzied passion and Will thought

it to be a strange combination, strange enough to slow and calm himself down and

look deeply into her eyes. Tenderly brushing away the sweat-dampened

wispy hair that caressed her cheeks, Will gently, reverently, kissed her

lips, and whispered, "Please. _For me_."

His desolate, broken plea was the undoing of her and with a

heart-wrenching sob, Deanna linked her arms around his neck, kissed him

deeply and let it happen.

The rush of freedom from her was so serene, so quiet that Will wasn't quite

sure it had happened until he felt the familiar moist warmth surround

his own pulsating, sexual release. But he knew the real reason her

climax had almost passed him by - the word. A word he hadn't expected

threw him for a loop along with the eerie way his mind and his heart

seemed to separate from his body's explosion at the same time.

And that word was_, "Imzadi."_

The word tore from her throat as though it had been dragged up from the

very gates of hell. Gently slipping himself out of her body before

activating his own painful release, he raised himself back onto his now very

unsteady arms. Will stared at Deanna's face that was wreathed in agony as

tears streamed from her eyes, and he knew that if he hadn't still had her

pinned beneath him she would have ran away. She clawed at his chest in

a valiant effort to move him off but eventually instead throwing her hands

over her face to hide her evident shame and misery.

Will blinked hard and wondered what had just transpired. He felt

different somehow, which was stupid because he knew he didn't look any

Different, but he certainly _felt_ different. Like, he wasn't _alone_

any longer. Like his new best friend had just coalesced with him and had

stayed.

Swallowing painfully, he plucked up the courage to ask her in a voice

that was as unsteady as his arms. But even as he said it he felt

himself withdrawing away from her both physically and mentally, until

eventually he sat beside her and asked worriedly. "What did you just do to me,

Deanna?" his voice was low. Scared, even.

Deanna licked her suddenly dry lips as her body still pulsated with raw

emotion. "I...I," she trailed off unable to think of a suitable

response. "I'm sorry." she said, instead. Pulling herself to an unsteady

stand she reached for her dress, using it simply to cover her frontal

nudity, which seemed a little absurd, considering what had just happened

between them.

Will pulled himself to a stand too, but stood, tall, naked and proud,

his eyes never leaving the smaller woman's face. "Sorry for what,

Deanna. What the hell just happened between us. What did you do?" He

Didn't realise he'd moved closer to her until he found himself looking

down into her upturned, scared face, his stance, and his voice threatening as

though he was reprimanding a subordinate. "Deanna," he growled, "Answer

me, dammit!"

"I...I made you...mine," Cowering a little as the painful admission left her lips.

Reeling back on his heels, Riker blinked, several times letting her

simple, but he knew it was anything but, statement filter through the

throbbing pain steadily growing in his head, making him slightly

nauseous before saying incredulously, and heatedly, "What!?"

Now the truth was finally out Deanna regained some of her equilibrium.

Straightening out her body so that she could face him, eye to eye, even

though it was still from at least ten inches below him she squared her

shoulders and repeated herself. "I made you mine. I made you my, Imzadi."

Will spun away from her trying desperately to reign in his runaway

Emotions, but just as quickly as he'd turned away, he spun back around on

Her with fire spitting in his vivid blue eyes and blood pounding in his

head. Did she mean_, mine_ as in, _mine_ because they had made love? He wondered.

Or was it _mine_ as in_, my slave forever_? Fear gripped him by the

throat at her cryptic answer and it threatened to suffocate him.

Will felt strangled; Imprisoned, and only one word managed to leave his mouth,

"Explain."

Deanna studied his rigid features for a moment before dropping her gaze

lower and swallowing the sudden rush of unbidden desire that flickered

through her at what she saw before her. She swallowed noisily.

"I think you should put some clothes on before I explain anything."

For all intense and purposes, Will looked as though he was going to

ignore her, and then one sharp look downwards had him inwardly agreeing.

Swinging his gaze around for his underpants, he soon gave up the search

as it looked like that they had vanished into thin air. Instead he

grabbed his pants from the pile and slipped them on. As he tugged his

top over his head he heard Deanna slip her own dress over her head, the

whisper of the heavy silk bringing a kick of desire as he envisaged it cascading

over her nude curves fully aware that she was still naked beneath the crimson

folds.

Will raked his hand through his hair grimacing at the dirt that had

embedded itself in it. He glanced at Deanna, pitying her because he was

aware that her own hair must have been much, much worse. They stood in tense

silence looking at each other with only their laboured breathing giving away

the tumultuous emotions that raged beneath the surfaces.

Will spotted a movement lower down and dropped his still overwhelmed

gaze to her shaking, out-stretched hand. Raising uncertain and questioning

eyes back to hers again he saw only tenderness and understanding, but

among both emotions Will spotted fear - the fear of loss. A fear that

mirrored his own and moments later he slipped his own, not so steady fingers

into hers and waited with bated breath at what she had to tell him.

Tbc...


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter nine

They retraced their steps back to the gazebo. To anyone else's eye

they looked like any other courting couple as they walked along,

their hands linked. But to the trained eye anyone could see the stiff

shoulders and the reluctant pulling of her hand in his and the shadows of

doubt in their eyes as they warily threw side-glances at each other as

each tried to gauge one other's feelings.

Even though their pace was slow and leisurely, the tension between them

garnered feelings of urgency. Will tried to stealthily look at the woman

beside him, but every time he did so she caught him. She seemed to be

so attuned to him that it momentarily startled him. _Was this part of_

_the Imzadi legacy she had bestowed upon me?_ He wondered. _Every_

_thought that I have, or every look, would she know about, or feel?_

Will began to feel uneasy again; trapped. He felt his throat and

his heart constrict; squeeze tighter against the sudden threat of losing

his soul and his sanity to something he didn't understand. But then he

reasoned with his warring mind that she _did_ try to stop him. She _did_

try and fight against becoming - whatever it is they've become! He felt

himself looking sideways again, only this time when his eyes met hers,

it was with a measure of understanding. She was aware of his inner chaos;

knew she was the one to cause it. But was she able to allay it?

_He was scared stupid_, Deanna thought as she caught him looking over

to her again. She saw him frown when her eyes had met his and she

quickly surmised that he thought it was part of the Imzadi gift that

they now possessed. In truth, it was simply because Deanna hadn't taken

her eyes off him, not even for a second.

They had made love together. They'd had the most beautiful experience

bequeathed to man and woman and they had become Imzadi. Reluctant

Imzadi. Deanna wanted - needed to know if their union had meant as much

to him as it had to her and the only way to do that was to relive it.

Relive the love. Relive the moment when his body entered hers.

Warmth stole through her as she filled her mind with him again and

let the image of them making love tumble through her thoughts, bringing

a tender smile to her lips. Will turned his head to look at

her again and she felt his gaze bore through her as his own mind began

to see what she saw. Deanna held on to the image letting it transcend

into his, watching the vivid union visibly shake him to his core.

Time stopped. Everything stopped; their feet, their hearts and their

breath as they stood and absorbed the intimate moment between them once more.

Will's eyes glistened with hunger as the strange dream-like moment

saturate his senses. He turned his body towards her, his eyes never

leaving hers as they both rode the wave again, its culmination releasing

the breath in their lungs in gush a of desire.

Sounds of the night began again as Will studied the small woman before

him as she gazed up into his face. "Is that what it is going to be like

for us from now on?" he asked, his questioning voice husky with

emotion and desire.

Her barely inaudible, "Yes," slipped from between her lips. Deanna

Didn't apologise for it, she didn't see the point, or the need. It had

Happened; It was done. Will was her Imzadi now and he was just going to

have to get used to it. But what Deanna wanted in her heart was for Will

to accept it and embrace it, even possibly become her Imzadi in every

nuance that the endearment meant, but first she had to explain her

actions and what she had bestowed upon him, and hope that he didn't end

up hating her for it.

They took the last few steps to the gazebo and sank down together onto

its softness. All of a sudden a shyness crept in between them and for

a long moment neither one knew what to say. But Will had so many

questions racing around his head that he had to get the ball rolling.

He studied her fingers still entwined with his, marvelling at the cascade

of colours upon her long, slender opalescent painted nails as the moonlight

glinted on them. "Did you know this was going to happen..." he broke

off raising his eyes briefly to hers before adding, "to us?" Deep in

the corners of his soul a feeling that whatever had happened to them

had been special and was not an everyday occurrence. He still wasn't

sure if he had been blessed or cursed and was becoming tremendously

uneasy and it was gnawing away at his gut not knowing,

Deanna licked her overly dry lips, the movement releasing her even

dryer tongue, allowing her to speak. "My...mother warned me that it

might happen but I thought I could control it. I failed. I'm sorry."

she trailed off suddenly embarrassed again.

"Your mother!?" Will asked, his voice rising with surprise, "Your mother

knows that we we're...we've...?"

She nodded, "Of course. She is one of the most powerful telepaths on

the planet, Will. I don't like that she knows absolutely everything that

happens with me, but sometimes it can be a blessing not having to

explain myself, or my actions because she always invariably knows,"

And then she added sadly, "and sometimes I wish she'd leave my head in

peace."

She didn't have to add, _like now_? it was written all over her face;

failure. Her head hung low, covering her forlorn features and Will had

no choice but to watch the crown of her head as he waited for her to

continue. Deanna had failed in keeping Will out of her soul and knew

her mother knew. And she was aware also that her mother knew that the union

hadn't gone well. True, destiny had been fulfilled, but at what cost? An

overwhelming feeling of loss washed over her and Will felt its impact

sweep through him too.

Deanna raised her eyes to his but now they shimmered with moisture. His

resolve to not succumb to her feminine wiles until she had revealed her

secrets melted along with his heart when he saw her struggling with her

pain and realised that this was as hard for her as it was for him.

Moments later his arms moved towards her and with a muttered, "Come

here." he pulled her onto his lap.

She sank against his chest and let the relief pour from her as he

cradled her in his large arms. He felt her voice rumble through his

chest, "I'm sorry, Will. I never meant for this to happen. I know how

important your career is to you, and I'm not going to hold you back just

because of what's happened between us."

"But what _has_ happened? Tell me, Deanna, so that I can understand."

Will pleaded quietly.

_Okay, here goes_. Deanna thought silently, and she took a deep breath.

"On my planet, love..." she hesitated. The word _love_ seemed to be too

strong for the moment and she tried to think of another one better

suited, but couldn't, so she continued, "love between two people has

become something of an extension of the spoken word."

She glanced briefly into his shadowed face, comforted by the intensity

that held it rapt as she spoke, so she continued once she'd settled her

cheek against the huge barrel of his chest, the heartbeat within it

solid and even. "Sometimes, people - lovers, are privileged to

experience this extra level of the emotion. They go beyond the

simplistic level of love that most people know."

"What happened to us tonight was beyond love. We became, Imzadi because

our feelings for each other went deeper than normal."

Once more she sat up higher, her face just a few scant inches away from

His. Her eyes studied his, beseeching him to look further than what he

saw. "Will, can't you _feel_ that what we have is more than you've ever

felt before?"

Will's fingers linked together at her waist stung with pain holding

her onto his lap. He _did_ feel different, but then he had never experienced

the concept of love before. He had never _been_ in love, so he wasn't

quite sure that what he was feeling was love or magic, because the

moment of intimacy that they had just shared _had_ been magic. He'd felt

like he was floating. He'd felt connected, to her. He'd felt..._good._

Wonderful.

Sanctified.

"Yes," he whispered, "Yes, I feel it, but I don't understand what it

means from now on, Deanna. What now?"

She turned her head away from him long enough in the vain attempt to

hide the pain that her one word created, "Nothing." before re-claiming

her heart, her voice, and her traitorous eyes to face him again,

"Nothing, Will. I'll live my life, and you'll live yours." she ended sadly.

Suddenly Will's eyes glittered with humorous malice and his voice

dripped with venom as he spoke, "Oh, no, no, no, Deanna. It is not quite

that simple, is it?" he growled, "I feel connected to you. I bet if I

walked away from you now, inside my head, I would hear you call me back.

When I leave this planet, you'll be coming with me, maybe not in person,

but you'll still be with me, won't you, Deanna?"

He knew the moment he'd hurt her when he watched the tears well in her

eyes when she heard that he was leaving, but up until that moment he

hadn't realised why it was going to cause her so much pain. He'd been

arrogant enough to know that Deanna had probably fallen in love with

him, and if he was totally honest with himself, he'd fallen for her. But

she'd known, as he did, that he was going to leave Betazed, but until

now, Will had thought that maybe he'd be leaving behind just a broken

heart. Now he knew different. Now he would be leaving his own soul behind too.

Her throat tightened around the words that wanted to come out, so she

simply nodded and the movement released a tear. Will watched it trickle

down her soft cheek and he automatically reached his hand up and brushed it

away with his thumb. Tucking strands of wayward curls behind her ear,

Will murmured softly, "Will that be so bad?"

Deanna didn't realise he had spoken until his silence was so obviously

waiting for an answer from her. She was so rapt with losing herself in his

sea-blue eyes that were so heavy with need and tenderness that she forgot everything

except to watch him. And then suddenly his question filtered through the

fog, "Will what be so bad?"

Will rolled his eyes, and a half indulgent smile lifted his lips, but

he soon turned serious again, "Will it be so bad if I take a little

piece of you with me when I go?" he asked, a touch of hope lacing his question

as inch by inch he began pulling her slowly towards his waiting mouth, and

as her lips settled against his, he heard her breathy, barely audible

whisper, "No, Imzadi."

Tbc...


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter ten

"Smell this one, Will, it's called Cherrydew." she plucked the deep

Burgundy bloom and held it under his nose, her face alight with mischief

and wonder, "It smells just like the fruit, doesn't it?"

Will breathed in the sweet smell, and yes, it was definitely cherry scented and

He murmured his agreement trying his hardest to keep his chain of thought

directed to the flower in question, and not that he'd just recently

tasted something else that had decidedly tasted of something similar.

Deanna watched as his eyes flared with desire and instinctively knew

that he wasn't thinking about the flower in her fingers but something

a little more...erotic. Twirling the bloom between her fingertips

she linked her arm with his again and they continued moving around the

vast flower beds.

They looked like a normal, happy couple on a warm, summer's day

admiring the flora and fauna in the arboretum. Only it wasn't a warm,

summer's day. It was three o'clock in the morning. It was also pitch black

apart from the illuminations, and the couple were both stark naked.

They had made love again, but this time their love-making had been

different. It had been romantic. Now that the fears had vanished and

the newness of intimacy had gone too, a new awareness had risen. Love

had emerged from its secret place and surrounded them both with its

power. When Will had entered her a second time it was with not only her

blessings but her culture's too, and perversely he felt it was with her

mother's approval as well.

But even so, the shadow of his eventual leaving hovered between them

and it was the next large hurdle they faced. Could he stay, or should he

go? Could he leave her behind? In the back of his mind, the questions

churned over and over and sullied the precious memories he was creating in

the here and now.

Deanna looked up into his face and her eyes were alive with feeling. He dropped

a quick kiss to her lips, slipping his arm around her shoulders and

pulled her against his side making a visible effort to dispel the nasty

thoughts until another time. Until he had no choice _but_ to think about

them. He felt her slim arm snake around his waist and he sighed with

contentment, squeezing her shoulder to spread the same feeling across to her.

She answered him with a squeeze of her own.

Slowly they gradually made their way back to the gazebo and

reluctantly began to put on their clothes both knowing that it was time to

step back to reality. From the moment they had sealed themselves in

the glass dome their life had become surreal. Unforgettable.

As the folds of her crimson dress shimmered down her thighs, Will

slid on the last piece of his attire, his shoe, and then it was done;

they were back to normal. Back to the now, and as they stood face to

face a shyness stole over each other and silence balanced equally

between them.

But pushing aside the shyness they unanimously stepped into each

other's arms. They felt as though they were saying goodbye even though

the feeling was illogical. Will wasn't leaving, and Deanna had long

since accepted that destiny had taken over and shown her what her future

held in store for her.

But then with a flip of the coin, Will remembered that he _was_ leaving, and probably

sooner than later and destiny had got it wrong for them both.

How could she survive without her Imzadi by her side? How was she

going to survive without her Imzadi by her side?

Too many changes were happening tonight and every one of them was out

of their control, all except one; the important one; Imzadi. They were both

aware that they could, and probably would, walk away and never see each

other again, and they both knew that their lives had changed forever,

not because of Imzadi, but because of love. They had fallen in love.

They had become lovers and they would always have the memories.

But Imzadi...Imzadi had bound them together for eternity, no matter

what. Love could move on, a second best could take the place of the one,

true love. Time could be forgotten, and so could the memories, but there

would always be Imzadi.

/~*~ /

"Will I see you tomorrow?"

The whispered question tickled her ear and Deanna smiled, drawing his

body even closer than before if possible. She slid her hands up his

back testing the texture and marvelling at the power in his shoulders.

She dropped a light kiss upon his smooth cheek, her own voice as quiet

as his.

"Yes." And then she was gone.

Will watched the door close with a quiet click, her perfume, along with

another scent now, lingered in the porch and he drew a deep

breath, savouring and saving it for a private moment alone when he got

to his quarters.

He groaned as he turned away already missing her. Suddenly tomorrow seemed

a lifetime away and he still had the rest of the night to get through without her.

He wasn't sure he was going to make it without making a complete fool of himself.

Tbc...


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter eleven

"What do you mean she's gone. Gone where!?"

William Riker stood upon Deanna Troi's doorstep the following day perplexed.

It was nearly noon and Will thought that he'd pick up Deanna

and they'd have a picnic lunch together, somewhere quiet - like maybe

the arboretum.

But instead of finding himself lusting at Deanna Troi he was being

openly stared at by her mother, her eyes alight with fascination at his

quandary, and he was in a quandary. Did the woman mean 'Gone,

disappeared?' or, 'Gone, gone shopping?' He wondered.

He got his answer when she stuck her nose in the air and sniffed

Derisively at him, "The Troi's do _not _go shopping, Mr. Riker. My daughter,

not that it is any concern of yours, has gone away for a while."

_So, gone. Disappeared_. Will wilted inwardly. _She lied to me. She doesn't_

_want to see me after all._

"She thought that it would be best if you didn't see each other again,

Mr. Riker." she finished, turning away from him and prepared to close the

door.

Will started forward, slipping his arm forward enough to stop the

doors closure, "She thought, Mrs. Troi, or _you_ thought?" Will asked

gamely, his words now tinged with bitterness.

The moment Will had invaded her space she turned back around, shooting

him a look that could wither a slug on sight. "As much my daughter

respects my decisions, there are some things that only she decides, and

she has decided, Mr. Riker, that what happened between you two last

night will never happen again."

Will blinked twice as he absorbed, not only the shock of Deanna's

betrayal, but that her mother seemed to know the intimate details of

their night together. Before she could slip another damning word out,

Will recaptured his pride and stepped back, straightening his torso and

his scattered wits. "Very well, Mrs. Troi. Thank you for letting me know

where I stand. Good afternoon." He spun on his heels and walked away

without a backward glance.

"That's not quite what I said, mother." said Deanna, stepping out of

the shadows.

Lwaxana sighed deeply as she slowly pushed the door shut, watching the

tall man's stiff, retreating figure walk with regret. She genuinely liked the

young lieutenant, and liked where he was going with his life. The man

had high hopes and had enough bravado to achieve them. Oh, she didn't

like that he was a Starfleet officer, or that his life would be on the

line every minute of the day, as well as her daughter's if she went with

him.

But, he was her Imzadi now and that changed the status quo a little.

_A lot_, she amended with a grimace, turning to face Deanna. "You said

you didn't want to see him, little one. You didn't tell me how long for.

I only assumed that things didn't turn out quite like you had planned

last night?"

Lwaxana was fishing and she knew it, waiting to see if Deanna would

tell her the truth about what happened between them. Telepathy was a

wonderful thing when one couldn't get their own way, but Deanna was her

only child and she liked to imagine that she would still come to her,

talk to her about anything and everything, including last night.

But she was dashed and disappointed when Deanna said, as she turned

away and walked dispiritedly up the long staircase, "No, they didn't."

_Oh, yes, they did, Little One. Yes, they did._

"Turned you down, did she, boy?" Tang's gruff voice lit with

Merriment as it boomed through Will's office.

"Shut up, Tang," Will groused, burying his head in the file that he had

in front of him but not seeing one word on it. "A lady is entitled to

change her mind."

Tang laughed out-right at Will's preposterous statement. "Riker, you

are talking about a Troi. You are not talking about some young filly

that has got within your grubby little paws. You are talking about a

woman with substance. You are talking about royalty, as near damn it."

He ploughed on regardless of the pained look on the younger man's

handsome face. "You are talking about Lwaxana Troi's daughter. She would

_not_ change her mind."

Spinning around the chair Tang hoisted one leg up and put his big

booted foot upon it, leant his arm on the knee and lowered his face to Will's

level so he was looking him straight in the eye. "So," he demanded,

"What are you going to do about it - her?" he emended.

Will rose his sky-blue eyes and looked into his friend's with

determination, "Nothing."

"Nothing!?"

"Nothing," he confirmed, "If Deanna changes her mind, she knows where

to find me."

"Oh. And what if by some crummy misfortune, you get hoisted off this

rock before that happens?" Tang asked.

"Nah, never happen. I'm stuck here for at least another month, maybe

more. Plenty of time for Ms. Troi to come begging for my body again." he

sneered good-naturedly, his age and chauvinism clearly shining through..

Tang shook his head, smiling with age-old wisdom. "Young Riker, you

have got a lot to learn about women." Coming upright again, he pushed

the chair back to its original position and headed for the door, but not

without adding his parting, and very wise words, "Will, if you want her,

_you're_ gonna have to do the begging."

It was on the tip of Will's tongue to shout back at him that he didn't

beg for anything, or anyone, but held back the ridiculous comment. Did

he want her enough to go after her? Did he love her enough to beg?

_No!_ he vowed, and then moments later he pushed himself out of his

Chair determination consuming his every pore and thought.

_Dammit, yes, I would!_

Tbc...


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

The tree was the perfect place to stake out the Troi mansion. Will

stood behind its vast trunk watching the house across the street. Night

was falling rapidly and the only sounds to be heard were the calls of

the night creatures, none of which were a threat to him. It was one of

the things that Will liked about the planet; the lack of bugs. The other

thing he liked was the constant balmy weather, although he'd heard that

occasionally Betazed had rain storms, but he had yet to witness one.

His dark outfit made him inconspicuous in the moonlit shadows that

stretched out from the tree. It also made him look dashing and

dangerous. He looked good in black; with his extra long limbs and his

dark hair, he found that ladies liked him in dark clothing. Made him

look 'sexy and mysterious.' so one particular lady had told him, as

she'd taken each bit off him, bit by bit.

Tonight though, he other plans for the dark outfit.

It had been two days since he'd approached the Troi mansion. Only last

time it had been in broad daylight and he'd been turned away. This time

though he wasn't going to wait to be invited. Will had been watching

for signs of movement. His instincts had told him that Deanna hadn't

disappeared and that she was just, 'laying low'. It stuck in his craw

that she had lied to him. It had also hurt that she hadn't had the balls

to tell him to his face.

But then again, whenever they got face to face other feelings got in

the way, and morosely, Will kinda understood that maybe that was why

she'd taken the cowards way out, using her mother to do her dirty work.

But it still didn't squash the empty feeling inside that had consumed

him ever since. His life seemed to have come to a stand-still. He still

did his job, nobody could fault him for the that, but everything else

seemed to be unhappily suspended. Was this another facet of this Imzadi

thing that he'd yet to understand?

He'd begun to feel as though he was on a dog's lead; wanting to go for

the walk but with no one to take him. Constantly under the control of

his master; walked when he wanted to be and petted when he wanted to be.

Loved when he wanted to be. Only Will felt as though his master had

abandoned him, without taking off the dog-lead.

So lost was he in his self-analysis of his feelings for Deanna that he

almost missed the real reason he was there, skulking in the shadows,

waiting. A light flicked on in her bedroom and a movement within the

room sent the gauzy curtain moving. But as quick as the light went on,

it went off again. But it was enough evidence for Will to tell him that

Deanna was home. He glanced at his watch; 10.35 p.m. it read. Bedtime.

Confrontation time.

And moments later, his dark, shadowy figure made its move.

Tbc...


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter thirteen

Deanna stepped out of the shower and wrapped the huge, fluffy, cerise

towel around her slender body, and then wrapped another smaller one

around her head. She was still tucking the dark tendrils under its edge

as she strode nonchalantly into her bedroom. It wasn't until then that

she got a tickle in the back of her mind that she was being watched.

It only took her a second for her eyes to fall on the large bulk that

sat, looking rather silly in the rather delicate and ornate chair, the

one man that had consumed her thoughts and her dreams.

It was no use feigning shock, horror, or surprise at finding him there,

so she simply asked, "How did you get in," and then another thought

entered her head. "Did my mother put you up to this?" But she couldn't

take her eyes of him, or the way he looked; sexy. Damned sexy. And

dangerous.

Shadowed by the natural light in the room and dressed all in black so

that all that showed was his face and his large hands, Deanna couldn't

stop it when her tongue snaked out and swept across her suddenly dry lips.

Will didn't miss the erotic movement and secretly smiled to himself as

he answered her, taking care to not let his eyes drop below her face.

He'd taken a long, leisurely look at everything else before she'd sensed

him and drank his fill of her creamy skin, her long slender throat. Her

delicate ears, her tiny ankles, and her sexy toes.

Once more, the mention of her mother threw him for a moment. _What was_

_with the mother!? _he wondered before actually saying flippantly, "I'm a

Riker, I can get in anywhere if I put my mind to it." And then belatedly

thought about his response, groaned and hoped that Deanna hadn't spotted

the provocative version of his daft boast. The hurt sparkle in her eyes told

him he'd hit a nerve and he quickly murmured an honest, "Sorry," He

hesitated a moment before adding gently, "I'd like to talk to you, and

since you're apparently, 'not here', I wanted to know why."

Deanna quickly turned away from him, not wanting him to see the blatant

lie in her eyes, "I thought my mother already explained my reasoning. It

won't work for us, so there is no point in making it any harder than it

already is."

Will studied her as she plonked herself down in front of her mirror,

taking the towel off her head as she did so, letting the riotous, ebony

curls cascade down her back. He looked past her bare, creamy shoulders

and watched her reflection as she picked up a brush and began to work

through the knots and pondered on her answer while working on his own

suitable response at the same time.

"I know that I'm not going to be on Betazed for long, and so do you.

Why can't we enjoy the time we have left together?" But even as he said

it, he knew that wasn't possible. They were now more than casual lovers.

A few weeks wasn't going to cut it. He was waiting for her predictable

answer but was surprised - stunned when she finally did speak.

"I love you." The passionate words slipped out before she could stop

them and she cursed her own idiocy. She had made a vow to herself that

she wouldn't tell him how she felt, nor would she put him in that

awkward position of having to reveal his own feelings. His reaction

spoke volumes.

"Huh?" His entire body went rigid. It was the last thing he expected

her to say.

"I'm sorry," she murmured, "that kinda slipped out. I didn't mean to

tell you." her eyes briefly finding his in the mirror before looking

away, confused with her confession.

But his held the hint of a smile as he spoke, "If you love me, how come

you sound so miserable?"

"I am miserable," she admitted, "You're the last person I want to

love," she began to reel off the excuses, "You're not my type. You're

pushy, bossy and arrogant. Half the time I don't even like you. You work

in a dangerous job. You could be killed at any time." She'd started out

strong, but her voice was shaky by the end.

Many silent moments later Will quietly stood and moved slowly towards

her. She watched his movements in the mirror, her eyes dropping when he

lowered himself to kneel down beside her. His eyes never left hers as he

spoke, "I'm a Starfleet officer," he clarified un-necessarily. "But I'm

a _good_ Starfleet officer. I'm not going to die tomorrow, or the day

after, or for a very long time after that, if I have my way,"

He lifted a hand and tenderly fingered a solitary damp curl that sat

upon her shoulder, "Especially," he continue huskily, "if I've got

something, or someone, to live for."

At last Deanna's eyes left the mirror and found his. Swallowing, she

whispered, "I've never been in love before. I hate it." The emotional

confession brought moisture to her eyes.

Will smiled tenderly, instantly understanding, "I've got news for you.

I hate being in love too, Deanna. But we are."

She nodded, accepting the logic, and the situation, "Yes, we are." she

sighed.

Will pushed himself to a stand and his fingers trailed down her arm until

they reached her waiting fingers. Pulling her up with him Deanna

dropped the hairbrush onto the table and turned into his arms, soaking

up the compassion he offered.

After a few moments Will smiled above her head as he heard her take in

a deep appreciative sniff of the cologne he wore. It was a favourite of

his and of every other female that had gotten close enough to wallow in

its intoxicating aroma. He felt the palms of her hands flatten out

against his back and begin to move,

Gently, he pulled his upper body away, inviting her to take the lead to

wherever she wanted to go. Her face left his chest and she looked up,

her eyes silently asking him to kiss her. Before the plea had even

ended his lips were settling against hers and barely a second

later their tongues danced to the tune that only lovers ever got to

hear as they unanimously sucked in a trembling breath on a

tortured moan that came with the kiss's intensity.

Will's heartbeat began to pound as the ardour deep inside him began to

swell like a rolling wave about to tumble over and wash him away. God, he

wanted this woman more than he'd ever wanted a woman in his entire

life and he still couldn't quite believe that he actually had her in

his arms and in his heart.

Deanna felt Will's mind and soul shift. A few seconds ago he simply

wanted to make love to her. Now, now he wanted more than just her. More

than just her body, her words and her touch. He wanted the other things that

_normal_ people couldn't see, or have, or desire.

The realization, for some unknown reason shocked her. Until that

Moment - _truly that moment_, their virginal Imzadi bond had seemed

surreal; enchanted. But feeling Will's honest, raw need from deep down

inside of him, finally and cataclysmically told her that the man in her

arms was, without a shadow of a doubt, _the one_, inescapably chosen to be

her Imzadi.

Will was breathing heavily when he reluctantly separated his lips from

hers. His eyes, inflamed with passion dropped to her glistening mouth

and then lower still and his hands left her waist to rise to the knot that

held her towel tight against her body. It was the only barrier that separated

his skin from hers.

Wordlessly, Will's darkened blue eyes met and held Deanna's, his voice, low and

husky with passion, whispered, "Can I?"

The hesitation was no longer than a breath before she answered him by

moving her own two hands to the knot and pulled at it, freeing the breasts

that were reaching out for his hands. And then, amongst the haze of

aching need, Deanna heard a silent whisper_. Don't, Little One_.

Will's face turned to bewilderment as he watched Deanna suddenly

change her mind and begun to re-knot the towel, depriving him

of the minuscule glimpse of what lay beneath, "Deanna?" he questioned,

hoarsely.

Unsteadily, Deanna stepped back and out of Will's arms, her cheeks

tinging pink with embarrassment, "I'm sorry. This is not the time, or

the place, you've got to leave."

Mystified and bemused, Will wasn't _quite_ sure what to do. He didn't

want to leave, he knew that without any doubt. But he didn't want to

stay and cause her harm in any way. But he felt he had a right to ask

about her sudden change of heart, "Can I ask why, Deanna? Did I do

something out of turn, or...?"

She cut him off, "No, no. It isn't you. It's me," taking another

reluctant step back she reiterated, "I think you'd better go, before..."

Will caught the nervous glance towards the door and instantly found the

answers he sought. _Her mother_. Warily, Will reached out his hand and

touched her arm. She reacted as though he'd burnt her and Will pulled

away with shock. "Before what, Deanna?" Perversely he knew, but he

wanted to hear her say it. "Is your mother on her way up here?"

Deanna cringed with embarrassment at Will's quick insight to the

Problem. "No, worse," she said, almost whispering, "_She's listening_."

Will blinked with surprise, momentarily stunned into silence, and then

his eyebrows rose and his eyes widened, and he asked incredulously,

"She's listening! - to us making out!? Isn't that kind of sick?" he

protested weakly, too shocked to even imagine the great Lwaxana Troi

being a voyeur.

And then he had a sudden thought, "Isn't that illegal?" he asked as

A spark of anger ignited deep inside himself.

Deanna swallowed, "She's only thinking of me, Will. She doesn't want to

see me hurt. Don't be cross." she ended lamely.

"I'm not cross, Deanna. I'm disappointed, and a tad disgruntled at

being labelled a bad guy, especially when I haven't done anything wrong

except fall in love with you, and last I heard, _that_ wasn't a crime."

He said, moving back towards her again, unable to keep the distance

between them, needing her closeness to prepare him for the moment that

he was going to be wrenched away from her again, not only physically, but

mentally too.

And he wasn't going without a fight.

Before she could back away Will pulled her into his arms, a little

more roughly than he'd intended, blaming it on the still simmering

flicker of fire that surged through his veins at being thwarted. Deanna

didn't even struggle. She couldn't and she didn't want to. If defying

her mother to put another memory in her own and Will's heart was the

only way, then so be it, and when Will's tongue swept into her mouth

she gladly met him halfway, snaking her arms up and around his neck and

holding on for dear life. Holding onto him.

But it was Will who eventually ended the kiss, his eyes ablaze with

fire and need. "I love you, God dammit." he growled, planting another

quick and final kiss upon her lips before ripping himself away from her

embrace.

He made himself back up towards the window in which he arrived and putting

one foot the other side of the frame. He suddenly stopped and with a

devilish smile upon his face he spoke to thin air, "G'night, Mrs Troi."

before dropping out of sight, winking at Deanna just before he disappeared.

Deanna chuckled as she felt her mother's indignant _Hrumph_! echo

throughout her senses, watching as Will vanished into the night and very

glad that he visited. Glad that they'd gotten another chance before time and

circumstances - _and her mother_ - intervened again.

Taking a deep breath and tightening the knot at her breasts a little

Tighter Deanna turned towards the door, ready for the showdown with the

woman that she knew was on the other side of it.

"MOTHER!"

Tbc...


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter fourteen

Will's footsteps echoed as he ambled along the streets heading back

towards the officers quarters, his long form, creating even longer

shadows in the moonlight. It was barely midnight - had he really been

over an hour in Deanna's room? He wondered, still mystified over the

visits culmination.

Will chuckled wryly to himself, his imagination running riot as he

pictured Deanna's mother with her ear against the door, listening in to

their conversation_. I wonder how much she heard_? He wondered._ Hell,_

_another five minutes and she would have heard a lot more,_ he bragged to

himself his walk turning cocky as he kicked a small pebble along the

ground watching it skitter away, the movement somehow reminding him of

Deanna and made his smile wider still. _Always running_.

He didn't see or hear the body skulking in the shadows, realizing that

if it had been an assailant he'd be dead by now, a fact he mentally

chastised himself for. When he did hear who it was he breathed a

grateful sigh of relief.

"Penny for them?" A high pitched, seductive voice broke the nights

quiet. Will recognized the sultry tone as soon as she spoke.

He chuckled again, blushing lightly as he thought about just what he'd

been thinking about knowing that Wendy would not want to hear about the

gut-punch of a kiss that he'd recently shared with Deanna. "I'd want a

lot more than a penny for them, Wendy. What are you doing out here this

time of night? You shouldn't be wandering the streets alone. You never

know who you'll bump into."

Wendy Roper stepped out of the shadows, her soft laughter suddenly

becoming loud in the night's calm, her shoes tip-tapping, piercing the

darkness and intruding on its tranquillity. "I bumped into who I exactly

wanted to bump into. You're a hard man to track down, Lieutenant."

Flattered, Will didn't immediately discard her as quickly as he should

Have done, especially when his mind was still over-stuffed with images and

thoughts of Deanna. Wendy, who now brazenly stood before him half

shadowed in the moonlight and making her look even sexier than when she had

prowled around him at the Troi get-together, waited patiently for his

mind to switch gears.

_She's nothing more than a friend_, he told himself as he smiled down

at the woman who moved within touchable distance, need oozing from

every pore. "What could you possibly want from me that you couldn't get

from a score of other Starfleet officers that are unattached and

available?" He asked with a knowing grin.

She chuckled seductively and the sound vaulted down to Will's reluctant

loins, her laugh reminding him of another certain Betazoid's that he'd

just left. "Last I heard, Lieutenant, you were unattached and more

than available. In fact, going by our last little...meeting, I got the

distinct impression that I could perhaps change that situation for you."

Boldly she stepped nearer and traced a finger tip across Will's

pectorals skimming the tiny buds that stood to attention with not only

the night's chill but the sexual acknowledgement to being touched,

wanted, and uncannily like being trapped in a transporter beam, Deanna's

presence in his head shimmered away too.

The first touch of her lips on his though was like having a bucket of

Icy cold water pouring over his head; her lips were cold, probably from

the midnight coolness, but he still managed to compare Wendy's with

Deanna's warm, welcoming touch, and he startlingly realized that the

connection was missing, too.

Until that moment, he hadn't appreciated just what being bonded really

Meant, but as Wendy tried to deepen the kiss by sweeping her tongue

across his lips seeking access by nudging the tip against his closed

teeth, Will felt totally devoid of feeling. Not just sexual feeling, but

spiritual. It was wrong. It felt wrong. It felt empty, like he was

kissing a vast void in space; dark and unwanted. Like nobody was on the

other side. Like something was missing. Or someone. _Deanna_.

_What am I doing!?_ he asked himself, horrified at the rapidness of

stepping into another's arms when it was possibly the furthest thing from

his intentions. _I love Deanna_! Reluctance gone, his sensibility

returned with a force that guiltily gnawed at his soul. Will firmly

disentangled himself from Wendy's clinging lips and arms and stepped

back out of reach.

Opening his mouth to apologise for leading Wendy on, he stopped when he

saw the smile on her face. It wasn't a nice smile. In fact, if she had

been a cat, Will would have thought that she'd definitely had a good

lick at a huge dollop of cream.

"So I was right," she crowed, her voice tinged with malice. "Little,

Miss Snob hasn't got what it takes to keep a man interested," Boldly

stepping towards Will again that long fingernail preparing to torture

him again only stopping short when Will reached up and held the hand just

short of its goal, the pressure in his fingers harder than he intended.

"Interested!?" he repeated with surprise and venom, "Deanna Troi, is

_the_ hottest woman I have ever met, and she has absolutely no problem in

keeping me interested. In fact..." his fury building within him at not

only his own lapse at remembering how much the woman in question meant

to him, but how Wendy could even say such a ridiculous thing. Will had

heard the gossip and he admitted to himself, that had been some of the

reason for getting to know Deanna better. But never in his wildest

dreams did he think he would be in the position he was in now; Captivated.

Totally and absolutely captivated by Deanna Troi. His _Imzadi._ He

twirled the new word around in his mind, liking how it made him feel

warm. Calm. Desired. _Loved_.

"In fact," he stormed on, but now with a catch in his voice that

defused some of the venom leaving him wide open to ridicule, but he

didn't care anymore. He knew he was wearing his heart on his sleeve for

the whole damn world to see, and he didn't give a fig. "I wish she was

standing in front of me instead of you because I miss her and I only

left her ten minutes ago. Doesn't that tell you something, Wendy?

"Yeah," she said, completely taken aback at his defence and passion

for someone who had markedly gotten under his skin, and pissed that the

apparently not-so-cold Betazoid had snagged the only man on the entire

planet worth snagging. "It tells me that you're no better than the rest

of the horny Starfleet bastards here and she's welcome to you.

Goodbye." She spat.

Spinning on her teetering heels, Will watched Wendy stride away from

Him with her head held as high as it could go. But even so, she still

couldn't stem the seductive sway of her hips as she walked it quickly

releasing Will's anger and making him chuckle. She must have heard it

because somehow she managed to get another inch higher as

her pride oozed from every pore.

Will stayed in the same spot for several long moments relaying the past

few minutes over in his mind wondering if he should feel guilty or not.

_I didn't kiss her back. I swear, I didn't_, he reasoned to himself.

_She came on to me_,

_LIAR!_

Where the hell did that come from!? He wondered to himself, trying to

put the word back into the jumbled jigsaw within his mind, seeing where

it fit. It didn't. He was beginning to think he was going mad. Either

that or someone, somewhere was butting in again and instantly, a vision

filled his head; A very unwelcome vision. "Lwaxana Troi." he muttered

angrily_. Great, just flippin' great_!

Tbc...


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter fifteen

At exactly noon, Will found himself back on the Troi mansion's doorstep

again. Knocking louder than what was necessary Will took a pace back

and unconsciously straightened his uniform, sweeping his hand through

his hair too and ignoring the tremble in his hand. He initially put it down

to his excitement at seeing Deanna again but as soon as her mother

opened the door he realized the tremble was fear, of her. Puffing up

his chest in a show of bravado, he spoke. "I'd like to see Deanna

please, Mrs. Troi?"

"I'm sure you would, Mr. Riker, but I am not going to allow it."

Lwaxana Troi told him in no uncertain terms, her voice firm and

unyielding, "I won't tell her you called. Goodbye."

Reeling from her words, Will didn't immediately react to the door being

shut in his face until it was almost closed, and with the speed of a

bullet Will put one of his rather large, black, shiny booted feet in

its way. "Have I done something to offend you, Mrs. Troi. I thought we

were..."

He hesitated on the word he wanted to say; friend. It didn't seem to be

quite the right one anymore. She was obviously upset about something and

he swallowed when he saw the look upon her now sour face. "Friends, Mr.

Riker? Is that what you were going to say? I thought, 'friends' didn't

kiss each other in quite the same manner that you and that Roper

creature did last night. I'm sure my daughter won't see it in quite that

way."

_Caught. Trapped_. _Presumed guilty without a trial_. Will swore beneath

his breath, never taking his eyes away from the formidable woman that

stood taller than him courtesy of the door's elevated rise from the

lower step that he still stood ramrod still on. The foot that had

previously wedged the heavy wooden door now firmly back beside its mate, frozen.

And then he replayed the bitter words that had fell from her mouth_; I'm_

_sure my daughter won't see it in quite that way..._

_Won't see it..._

_She hadn't told her! _

"No, I haven't told her...yet." she confirmed, "but I intend to, Mr.

Riker, as soon as I'm confident that she will believe me," she stated.

"At the moment her head is not being ruled by common sense, but it

will because you, Mr. Riker, will hurt her..."

Will opened his mouth to defend himself, but she cut him off before he

got a word out, "You _will_ hurt her, Lieutenant, and it has nothing to

do with your..._dalliances_ with other ladies." she said, disgust lacing

her words.

"Because I'm leaving." Will realized, feeling even more miserable about

that than about his other minor transgression.

"Because you're leaving." She agreed, and after a long moment of

a tormented, inner struggle watching the truth drain from the young

Starfleet lieutenant, the fight suddenly left her, and moving away from

the door, Lwaxana Troi's arm made a dramatic sweep inviting him to step

in. He did so, warily, glancing behind the door to see if the giant

housekeeper, Homn was lurking there ready to pounce.

"No, he isn't there, Mr. Riker. He's fixing lunch." she said, reading

his mind and his actions.

Will slowly closed the door behind him and stood barely a few feet away

from it with uncertainty oozing from his very essence. But amongst that

uncertainty Will felt a glimmer of hope. Maybe she wasn't such an old

gargoyle after all...

Stopping in mid stride the matriarch turned back towards him, her eye

brows risen in amusement as her voice, holding a hint of

laughter, spoke, "Trust me, Lieutenant, I can be."

Will inwardly groaned. Being around one of the most powerful telepaths

on the planet was getting to be a right, royal pain in the proverbial

a... He cut the thought short when he caught her glancing over her

shoulder at him again as he followed her through to the impressive

drawing room, missing the smirk as she turned back away from him.

Indicating to him that he should be seated, he wisely waited until she

had done so, his manners at last making an appearance. Hoisting his pant

legs up as he stretched his long limbs down onto the fancy seating, Will

perched nervously on its edge, lacing his fingers to hide the feint

tremor as he waited for...what? He didn't have to wait for long.

"I'd like to know why you're hurting my daughter." she asked.

Will was confused, "But...I thought..."

"No, no," she exclaimed, batting away his confusion with her hand,

cross that he'd misunderstood her, "That was before. Now I want to know

why you needed to find solace in another woman's arms, and don't tell me

it wasn't your fault, Mr. Riker. I know perfectly well what went on last

night, and you were _not_ totally innocent of the encounter."

Will had absolutely no intention of telling her one, solitary thing

about his little _mishap_ with Wendy Roper. Okay, so maybe he wasn't

quite as innocent as he proclaimed, but he sure as hell wasn't exactly

rolling in the hay with her, and, he added, he did back away as soon as

his head caught up with his libido and reminded him about another woman

who was at home keeping his place warm for him.

But then his guilt and excuses skittered away to be replaced by other

Feelings and emotions, and finding Lwaxana's eyes, he held them fast with

his own and as honestly as he could, he said, "I forgot," his broad

shoulders lifting a fraction aiding his response.

It was said so simply that Lwaxana's last ounce of mistrust and doubt

slipped away. She hadn't expected him to say what he had. What she'd

known of Terran males in the past, including her treasured husband, was

that when it came to matters of sex, honesty was about the furthest

thing from their minds.

But William Riker was different. Every time she encountered the man or

heard something about him, he never failed to surprise her, and

sometimes he even delighted her with his own brand of uniqueness. It was

easy to see why her daughter had fallen head over heels in love with

him, and if she'd have been twenty years younger...

Dragging herself back to the present and away from her fanciful and

evocative daydreams Lwaxana quickly decided that she wanted to make

William squirm for a little longer before putting him out of his misery.

"You forgot. My daughter?" Lwaxana packed her voice with a touch of

venom using her expressive eyes to carry the insult across. "Would you

like to expand on the word, 'forgot', Mr. Riker?"

Will blinked rapidly as he accessed his befuddled brain searching for

an explanation that would get him out of the hole that was getting

deeper and deeper by the minute. He swallowed, "Perhaps forgot was the

wrong word, Mrs. Troi." he said carefully.

"No it wasn't. The word was exactly the one you meant to say, and I'd

like you to explain to me how a man that barely two days ago not only

took my daughters innocence, but was privileged to become her Imzadi

too, could possibly, 'forget' her."

"I didn't forget Deanna!" he jumped in, his whole posture coming alert

as he realized that her mother had got entirely the wrong end of the

stick. Gamely he ploughed on, "I love your daughter, Mrs. Troi.

Forgetting her is something that will never happen, I can promise you

that." he said sincerely.

"Then just 'what' did you forget?" she asked exasperated.

Will sighed heavily, moving his eyes away from her intent gaze as he

tried to make her understand the importance of his confession. "I forget

about the Imzadi," he said, turning his face back to her, pleading for

belief.

Now it was Lwaxana's turn to blink. "You thought you could behave

inappropriately with another woman and get away with it, but you got

caught out because the bond squeezed in between and reminded you that

you'd given your soul to my daughter? Is that it, Lieutenant. Is that

the pathetic excuse you're going to use to placate me?" she asked,

astounded.

Will inwardly cringed at her scrutiny and her accusation. She was

right, he couldn't argue against that, and when she voiced it out aloud,

the whole episode became sordid. What in hell's name had he done?

Deanna meant more to him than that. In the space of a few scant days,

Deanna had become everything that made life worth living and he'd

thrown it all away because he hadn't had the will power to say no. The

realization made the bile rise to his throat and he pushed himself to a

stand and prepared to leave unable to stare his failure in the face any

longer.

Looking down at Deanna's mother with sadness and regret etching his

handsome features, he uttered the only two words that came to mind. The

only two words that he could offer with any degree of sincerity.

"Forgive me, please?"

Will visibly watched the anger fade from Lwaxana's face, his eyes

rising as she too came to a stand before him. He was surprised when she

gently reached out and touched his arm, a sad smile forming upon her

face. "Forgive yourself, Will. Consider what happened a lesson. You

weren't to know about the powers held within an Imzadi bond. But I'm

sure you do now, don't you?" she asked kindly.

Understanding, Will nodded slowly. "Yes," and then brightening a little

he added with a smile, "Besides, how could I possibly want more than

what Deanna has given me."

It wasn't a question and Lwaxana saw it as such, but still she

answered it as though it were. "All I ask is that you remember that,

Will."

Will felt the ton weight lift from his shoulders as he stood smiling at

the woman before him. Taking a deep cleansing breath he figured he'd got

nothing left to lose as he opened his mouth to ask her the obvious. But

he soon closed it again when she beat him to it.

"No, Mr. Riker, you may not see Deanna today," She stated firmly as she

took his arm and lead him through the house towards the door, "You can

go back to your quarters and spend some time thinking about our

conversation. And then, you can think about what you've got to offer my

daughter. And then," she carried on relentlessly, Will's head spinning

with the barrage of assignments she was enforcing upon him, "I want you

to think about what's going to happen when you get reassigned and leave

my planet."

By then they had reached the outer door and once more Will stood on the

threshold still held captive by the matriarch's domineering voice.

Moving to close the door, she finally added, "And then I want you to

think about Deanna. Goodbye, Mr. Riker."

The door closed with a solid, 'thunk' and Will didn't move from his

familiar spot as he thought about her parting words.

_Think about Deanna_.

Of course Will knew exactly what she had meant. He was going to leave

Betazed sooner or later and when he did Deanna was going to be broken

hearted. In fairness, so was he, but in maybe a month or so's time, they

would be closer still - maybe even inseparable by then. But Will was

aware that no matter how much he cared about Deanna, when the time came,

he _would_ leave.

But, if he broke things off now, despite their Imzadi bond, technically

the pain would be less. Even as Will turned away from the closed

door his heart began to ache with the prospect of never seeing his one,

true love - his Imzadi, ever again.

_What in hell's name am I going to do?!_ He wondered sadly, the

prospect of never seeing Deanna's beautiful face again, never to touch

her, kiss her, talk to her, or make love to her ever again was

completely unbearable.

Yup, Will really was going to think about Deanna, but he knew he wasn't

going to like the end result.

tbc...


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter sixteen

"Can't you do something to get me off this rock, Tang? C'mon, I know

you can pull some strings for me," Will pleaded, unable to keep his

frustration and the underlying urgency out of his voice, and his eyes.

"Please!?" he quietly asked again.

In the chair opposite him in his somewhat smaller office Sergeant Tang

studied the man that sat forlornly but was tinged with a simmering and

unsettled madness that gave away his true plight with compassion. Tang

wondered if Will had slept the night before because frankly, the young

Starfleet lieutenant looked like hell. Dark circles smudged his upper

cheeks beneath his eye sockets and his normally light sky-blue eyes

took on the more dark brooding hue of an impending storm.

"'fraid not," the older man sympathised, "seems the bosses are very

impressed with what you've achieved since you've been here; want you to

stay for another six months so I heard, only just yesterday. I would

have told you sooner but you weren't around to hear the good news." he

ended with a slight smile aware that Will would ignore the ironical

humour in his news rather than the foreboding doom that it really meant.

Will reacted exactly as Tang expected him to. He dropped his head onto his

hands as the effort to keep it upright seeming to fail with the tidings.

_Six months_!? He couldn't stay here for six whole months and not see her!

He didn't think he could even manage a day without somehow spying on her

as she went about her daily routines. Just one second to remind him of

what he felt for her would be all he'd need to satisfy his loss. But six,

whole months...

Impossible.

Unimaginable.

Tang's voice broke through his meanderings, "You know the planet has

been under threat from the Sindareen. They're convinced that it is only

a matter of time before they strike and Starfleet are convinced that

you're the man for the job for when they do."

That didn't make him feel any better. Betazed had been under threat

from the notorious scourge of space for so long now that they'd almost

seemed to be complacent about them; convinced that's all the threats

would ever be; threats.

But any military man knew that they were just biding their time;

waiting for that complacency to fall asleep just long enough for them to

slip through the net and cause havoc on the peaceful Betazoid's. _And on_

_Deanna_, Will grimaced as an unwelcome image filled his mind. _On his_

_Imzadi, _he angrily reminded himself silently, his heart suddenly

beginning to race at the mere thought of something or someone laying

one, filthy disgusting hand on her.

Will sprang to attention. "Damn it, Tang," his anger spilling out as he

confronted the man, "those damn Sindareen could turn up one day after I

left Betazed in six, bloody months time. What good will I be then? I'm

only one, damned man, for God's sake!"

Tang's eyebrows lifted with surprise. A week ago, he would never have

heard those words from William T Riker. The rising star of Starfleet was

the one person that Starfleet could have guaranteed staying power and

commitment when the going got tough. But not now, not since he'd gotten

tangled up with Deanna Troi, and Tang had the nasty job of reminding him so.

"This is your job, Lieutenant, like it or not. When those bastards

finally hit they want you here to deal with it," and then came the

bombshell, "no matter how long it takes." Tang let that extra piece of

bad tiding's sink in before sucking in a deep breath and continuing,

"I suggest," his voice dropping to a more compassionate note, "that you

end whatever you've started with Miss. Troi, and do what you came here

to do. Leaving Betazed right now is out of the question."

Tang pushed himself to a weary stand, his eyes never leaving the

dejected man that still sat unable to move as he tried to take in what

he had told him. "I suggest, Will, that you go and find Miss Troi and

end it on a good note. In time you might need the political powers that

the daughter of the fifth house wields, and if you're antsy with her

daughter you could become very unstuck, and that will REALLY piss

off Starfleet ."

He headed for the doorway, but then another thought entered

his head because he stopped and looked back, Will's head rose as he

waited for Tang's final piece of advice, already knowing that he wasn't

going to like it. "Get your head back into military mode, Lieutenant

before you get it blown off."

And Will knew that he wasn't just talking about the rising threat of

the Sindareen. If headquarters got wind of what he was up to here, they

would be after more than his head, they'd want his ass too. But he still

couldn't help saying the words that slipped quietly and thoughtfully

from his lips as he too pushed himself to a stand with misery poring from

every vein in his body "If only it were that simple, my friend. If only

it were that simple."

tbc...


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter seventeen

Deanna wandered into the military complex like a woman on a mission.

Her tiny feet walked with sure, quick steps, echoing along the vast

corridors that led towards her goal; Lieutenant Riker's office. Several

personnel that she gotten to know in her brief stint as dogs-body called

out a friendly, 'hi!' as she passed and she politely greeted them back,

but kept walking halting any further conversation, something she

despised herself for doing. But she had things to say to Will, and she

was going to say them. Now.

The buzz of tension filled the air as people hurried about, each with a

chore to do, each trying to squash their inner panic to what lie ahead.

Deanna felt the unease but pushed it away. At that moment she was only

concerned about one person but alongside the concern was a discernible

amount of disbelief, frustration, and misery.

Two weeks! Two whole weeks and not even a sighting of him. Not one

word. Not one kiss. Not one anything. At first she was sympathetic. And

then hurt. And then angry, and then the feeling that she had reached

now, and they were the worst, by far.

In the days that had past Deanna had felt Will's presence, welcoming

its comfort to get her through the days until he would come to his

senses and come to her, confident that their bond would be strong enough

to get through the solid barrier that had been forced up in between them.

But sense had clearly deserted him because he not only did not come near

her he did a very good job of blocking her out too. Most of the time

the blocking was entirely innocent, like he was shutting out his own

pain to get through the tormenting moments as he remembered a treasured

memory.

But sometimes it was a deliberate effort to expel her from his mind,

afraid of revealing that he ached for her as much as she ached for him,

seemingly aware that she was with him in thought.

And every day the torment had gotten too much for her, knowing that he

was suffering as much as she, the knowledge making Deanna step up the

front door of her house, open it, stand on its threshold, mentally kick

herself in the head for being weak and then go back in and close it

firmly shut. And every day she hated herself a little more than the day

before for not yielding to her heart instead of her head.

Over and over the same question tumbled around in her mind; Why had

she succumbed to Will's charm and given her heart and soul to him

knowing that it would end like this; Torn apart, hurting, lonely, aching

and so damned defiant. Why?

Deanna had paced around the Troi mansion like a caged tiger; desperate for

freedom but trapped because of her own fears; the fear of Will actually

telling her to her face that it was over between them. The fear of

falling apart before his very eyes as he witnessed her heart breaking.

The fear of never seeing him ever again and being left feeling like she

did right then for the rest of her life.

Her mother, bless her, had tried to reason with her saner side but

Deanna was beyond listening. She wanted Will, but she couldn't have him.

The bond had done exactly what she had feared; it had lost her Imzadi.

It had cost her her destiny.

And then this morning, something happened. Everything changed.

Everywhere tensions increased tenfold within the small community. Only

half an hour before Deanna had sat at her dressing table staring into

the mirror at her pallid face. Dipping her foundation brush into the

powder she lifted it her cheeks and began to dab away the dark smudges

beneath her eyes in a valiant effort to hide the night's struggle

against sleep.

And then she felt it; the wave of worry, fear, confusion and then

excitement when one word, the word that they had never hoped to hear,

_WAR_ zipped over the planet like an out-break of plague; touching

everything and everyone in its way. It washed over her, rippling through her

senses like an enormous tidal wave rolling up from deep within,

building bigger, higher and mightier with its power, consuming everyone

in its path with its malevolent word.

Forgetting her pale face and her ratty hair Deanna threw on some

clothes and tore down the stairs like a bat out of hell with only one

purpose in mind.

Her mother was waiting at the bottom. "You're going to him, aren't you?"

Deanna was surprised and mystified at her question, "Of course!" The

lines upon her forehead deepening, adding years to her tender age.

She slowed as she reached the bottom, preparing herself to be barred

from leaving the house, "You're not going to stop me, are you, mother?

Please don't." She pleaded quietly, but no less urgent than the

importance of finding Will before it was too late.

Lwaxana Troi's heart ached as she studied her daughter, her impatience

to get to the base etched upon her pretty face even though it was

creased in worry, blotchy from a half-botched make-up job, and extra

lined from the lack of sleep. She'd heard Deanna tossing and turning in

the night. Not just last night, but every night since his last visit.

Since she'd told him to think about everything, including Deanna.

Knowing that she was the cause of the young couples grief didn't sit

well with her and knowing what was about to happen didn't help either.

She couldn't begrudge them a few moments together, not now. Especially

not now.

Smiling sadly Lwaxana stepped aside even though she technically wasn't

in her way. But moving away seemed to execute her acceptance that Deanna

needed to go to him. Her voice was shaky when she spoke revealing her

insight to the tragedy about to unfold, "Go, darling."

Flying to the door with gratitude lighting up her features and innocently

ignoring the thrum of impending doom surrounding the city, Deanna's

lightened voice yelled, "'love you, mom!" before slamming it shut after

her speedy exit, the noise reverberating throughout not only the house,

but Lwaxana's teeth, making her grimace with distaste at the vulgar

display her daughter had just exhibited. "Heaven's," she murmured, "what

am I going to do with that child!?"

But when Deanna stepped into Will's office, it soon become very

apparent that she was too late to even say goodbye.

Tbc...


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter eighteen

Will Riker studied the controls in front of him checking everything

was okay before he set off. He was deliberately going slow; taking his

time and checking things that didn't need to be checked. Killing seconds

before Deanna reached him.

He knew she was coming, Tang had already radioed him and warned him

that she was on her way. The rest of the team had already left the

hanger until only he was left. Even the flight deck crews had drifted

away and Will wondered if they'd guessed that he and his guest wouldn't

want bystanders watching on, or listening in.

A vision filled his mind and he closed his eyes and allowed her

Features and her body to consume him for a moment, reminding him again why

he loved Deanna Troi, marvelling at how God had created someone that was

a perfect match, both inside his soul and out. How his heart seemed to

beat in time with hers. How her tiny contours flawlessly fitted against

his vast bulk. How her lips were just the perfect size and shape for

his. And how his rampant hardness had found the perfect home in

her welcoming body.

Will moaned as his hands trembled and he mentally berated himself for

the visible lapse of control over his desires and fears. And he was

afraid. Of Deanna and of himself. Afraid of losing himself to her

again even though it would be the most dangerous thing he could do.

Somehow, two very long weeks had gone past without a single word

passing between them. It had taken a colossal effort on his part to keep

away from Deanna, at times physically having to stop his feet from

moving when his head and heart had caved in to the need letting sense

and sanity step in when he needed it most, and he was exhausted with the

constant battle between the two.

And now, after all that effort, just when he thought he was home and

dry - and about to leave, Deanna had heard and had come to him. Will's

mouth suddenly went dry as he heard her footsteps echo through the vast

corridors. She was almost upon him. Just a few more seconds and he could

feast his eyes upon her beautiful face again. One second more and his

will-power was going to vanish into space.

Will heard her footsteps slowly come to a halt and he knew she was

searching the area for him. He sat ramrod still in the cockpit waiting

for her to finally spot him. The rush of tense silence filled the hanger

and increased tenfold, heightened by the chilly air of the vast metallic

dome. Will could see the tiny plumes of breath leave her lips as the

cold filled her lungs, her arms immediately snaking around her waist as

it hit her torso too.

Will couldn't leave her out there any longer and aware that she

couldn't hear his voice he opened his mind and silently spoke, willing

her to hear his rudimentary attempt to thought send_, I'm in here,_

_Deanna, come in out of the cold_

He heard a couple more footsteps as she moved nearer the shuttle's

window and then she was facing him head on, and for a long minute they

simple stood and stared at each other. Stormy brooding eyes faced her

and her large doe-like ones stared at him back until unable to tolerate the

chills that were seeping through her body any longer, Deanna stepped out

of sight and made her way to the back of the shuttle.

By the time she had timidly entered Will had turned his body to face

her and had battened down his racing emotions for whatever storm that was

about to occur, and for whatever damage they were each going to do to

their souls yet again. But he couldn't halt the desire that dilated his

eyes as he drank in the sight of her. That she was here, before him and

she cared enough to come to him, to be with him, despite everything.

Nervously Deanna looked around the small craft before seating herself

on the edge of the seat that ran along the side, her palms holding onto

its edge as she prepared herself for whatever was about to happen. She

tried to gauge his state of mind, but apart from the very brief moment

he had let her in to tell her his whereabouts, Will kept it well and

truly out-of-bounds and a few very uncomfortable moments went by before

he finally said quietly, "Why did you have to come?"

Deanna swallowed, her throat tightening with dismay at his question.

His voice held accusation, fear, and dread at her answer, but looking

into Will's eyes Deanna saw beyond the question. Saw that he was

holding back an ocean of tears and emotions that he didn't dare release,

afraid of revealing his true pain.

But she wasn't quite so afraid of showing him hers and tears that she

had kept disguised for so long rose to the surface, choking her words as

she spoke, "I...heard you were leaving, Will, and I couldn't let you go

without seeing you."

Will's eyes flared with pain, his response more a statement than a

question. "You don't think I'm going to come back," His anger sparked,

"You've come to say goodbye to me, is that it, Deanna?"

Deanna was horrified that he thought that she had only come because she

never expected to see him again, especially as it had been the furthest

thing from her mind. It was never seeing him again, knowing that he was

out there, somewhere, living a life without her and not wanting her,

period, that hurt her more, much more than him dying.

Throwing herself off the seat she found herself on her knees at his

Feet, her hands reaching for his forearms as her eyes pleaded for

understanding. "Oh, no, no, Imzadi! I never meant that at all! I...I..."

she stalled as she tried to formulate into words what her heart was

screaming at her to say.

But Will had gone beyond reasoning, already accepting that he had

jumped to conclusions. Now his head was reeling from hearing the

endearment fall from her lips as naturally as speaking his own name and

he found himself smiling sadly at her upturned, tear-washed face, "You

called me Imzadi."

Deanna froze, her eyes locking with his as she mentally back-tracked to

her heart-felt words, unable to take them back and then not even wanting

to as she witnessed the reaction to her innocent mistake upon his face.

She smiled weakly and then wider still as Will's hand rose and his palm

caressed her jaw. "You are my Imzadi, Will."

Will closed his eyes and sighed heavily as the burden of failing the

woman before him increased another notch. Reluctantly opening his eyes

again he was serious and forlorn as he murmured, "I know," He sighed

again before continuing, "You've got to believe me, Deanna when I say that I

wish this had never happened between us. Not now."

And she did, nodding understandingly, "I know, Will. No one is more

sorry than I, and I'm sorry that I forced you into this position - that

I wasn't strong enough to fight against it happening to us," Her voice

strengthened with conviction hoping that it would pull them out of the

painful moment. "But it has happened, and we've both got to put it aside

and get on with what we've got to do, especially you, Will. Especially

now."

Deanna felt the wave of agony sweep over her at her words and she

reached up and gripped the hand that still caressed her face, moving it

over her mouth and pushing her lips to its palm, his words bringing

stinging tears to her eyes again as her heart shuddered with sorrow.

"I think I'm going to die, Deanna." Will said brokenly, the sudden

realization stunning him, hurting him deep down inside in a place that

he never knew existed and that had, over the past weeks, revealed

itself and its capability of inflicting unbearable pain.

She gasped at his brutal honesty, "No! No you're not, Will! Don't say

that. Don't ever say that! You are not going to die!" And then sudden

inspiration hit her and she said quickly, "I can ask my mother to

intervene. Starfleet will listen to her! She can tell them that you're

needed here - to protect us. Or for..."

Will cut her off, "Deanna, Starfleet didn't want me to do this anyway.

This mission is my idea, my decision."

Deanna leapt to her feet as denial poured from every pore, her terror

ripping away at the very thin layer of self preservation an exposing just

what his actions was doing to her, "NO!" she cried as fresh tears

streamed down her face, "Why are you doing this to me - to us!? You don't

need to do this, Will. You don't need to go!"

Will jumped from his seat, pulling her into his arms, holding her tight

against his chest, her wails lost as his body soaked up her suffering,

absorbing it along with his own. Now he'd gotten over the worst part of

telling her he felt a calmness fall over him and his voice was quieter

and steadier as he tried to explain,

"I've got to, Deanna. We've had word that the Sindareen have an

encampment on the far side of your second moon. They are gathering

forces; preparing to strike Betazed any day now. We are going to go and

get them before they come and get us - catch them on the hop."

Pushing her away far enough so he could look into her face he

continued, "While I've still got breath in my body, I am _not_ going to

let them get near you, Imzadi."

Will looked longingly down into the face that had been etched upon his

soul forever and struggled against giving in to what he wanted. What he

only wanted, and with a groan of submission and self-loathing, Will

caved in to the hunger that gnawed away at his heart.

Their mouths met with a crash as Will crushed her to him, sliding his

tongue into her welcoming mouth with a fever that had eaten away at his

soul for two long miserable weeks. His body shook with feeling and he

let her replenish him with everything that she offered, giving it

equally back, hoping upon all hopes that it would be enough to see them

through the next few hours.

It had been naivety that had brought them both to this moment, but love

had stepped in and taken over the first chance it had gotten. But it had

never meant to take it to this extreme, and never expected to be torn

apart this soon.

They had no chance of remaining friends. Every time Will spoke to her

or saw her, or thought about her his heart would break. Knowing that he

had to live without her beside him was beyond comprehension. Beyond

forgetting. But he couldn't do that anyway, because she was with him

and within him, everywhere he went.

But for now Will had to let her go. He had to say goodbye but his

tortured and rebellious mind refused to take that final step by clinging

on to the tiny shred of hope that somehow, someway had a chance. But

he had a job to do first, and he had to get back home to her, alive.

Will ripped his mouth from hers and urged her to the back of the

shuttle craft, struggling to hold his voice as he spoke and failing as it

crackled with emotion. "Go," he pleaded, "Please, Deanna, go."

Unable to speak, the tears clogging her own throat, Deanna could do

nothing more than take one last look at him, hesitating a moment longer,

tormented by the agony etched upon his face and knowing that she put it

there. Spinning on her heels she hurried out of the shuttle and once

she was clear of the doors, she stopped, turning to watch the hatch come

down, her soul preparing to close its own doors to hide away from the

pain it was going to have to contend with until she saw him again.

Deanna moved around to the side out of harm's way as the engines began

to start up. Her eyes searched for his through the window and once more,

for a long moment, they simply looked at each other until, with a small

salute, Will finally began to move off.

Deanna rose her hand to wave goodbye but he was already gone, banking

sharply out of the giant hanger door and heading towards his comrades as

they sat waiting for their leader and mentally preparing themselves for the

mission ahead.

War was all but a heartbeat away and nobody knew who was going to be

the victor. But Will hoped and prayed with all his heart that it was

going to be him, just so that he go home and feast his eyes upon his

Imzadi again.

Tbc...


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter nineteen

"I make fifteen. What about you, Tang?"

The two men were huddled down behind a craggy outcrop and the jagged rocks

surprisingly sharp despite being mostly made out of sand, the tiny,

gritty particles already ripping at their noses and throats making them

splutter and grimace against the invasion on their tender and dry

membranes. Their eyes smarted as the tears tried valiantly to wash

away the grit.

Tang quietly coughed away another mouthful of sand before speaking, "I

count nineteen, sir. From this angle I can see the shadows inside the

tents and there is at least another four besides your fifteen."

Will grimaced with dismay. Even though the Federation party outnumbered

Sindareen almost by double they were still at a disadvantage. He

figured it was why the Sindareen had put themselves exactly where they

had; only one way in, and only one way out - and they were sitting right

in the way of either.

Will squinted, trying to focus his eyes not only against the sand that

was totally intent on getting behind his eyeballs to cause even more

grief than it already was, but the dying sun too. It was almost eleven

o'clock and there was still a lot of daylight left to die. He figured it

was going to be at least another good hour before the huge tangerine ball

settled down for the night, leaving them shadowed enough to move in.

Sergeant Tang scuttled nearer to Will's position so that he could

converse with his leader which made Will smile a little considering

that even though Will out-ranked Tang, he had heaps more experience and

enough balls to let a younger man take the lead in a situation that he'd

been in more times that he'd care to remember. Knew that even though he

was a military man through and through Tang was more than aware that he

was an ageing military man who's reflexes were somewhat diminished with

age. And his strategy tactics were in dire need or modernizing.

And Tang was more than happy to pass the reins over to him.

What's the plan of action, Sir" Tang murmured, his eyes never leaving

the scene below and watching for the tiniest of movements that would have

them either scuttling back out of sight, or worse still, have them

hurting down the hill at them like an avalanche in full unstoppable flow.

Will quietly studied the encampment below, watching one of the mongrels

mooching around looking for kindling to light a fire before the last of

the sunlight vanished and plunged them into midnight blackness.

His eyes moved further around. Another tent began to go up, this one

bigger than the others and Will surmised that it was the command centre.

It sure as hell wasn't the latrine as his gaze moved on to another solitary

figure standing apart from the others, his stance typical of a man

relieving himself.

Somehow that thought stuck in Will's craw; having to think of them as

men with the same bodily functions and needs as his own. Unwillingly, his mind

drifted back to Deanna sitting back in her house, undoubtedly worrying

her beautiful little head off unaware that a creature that could stand

there taking a piss like a man, could also fuck like a man.

_Could fuck his Imzadi _

The thought made the bile rise in Will's throat and he had to swallow

convulsively to shift the bitter taste and thought shaking his head to

dispel the images that swam through his head.

Tang caught the movement, spotting the tightly reigned in anger that

caused Will's blue eyes to sparkle in the moonlights first beams. "You

alright, sir?" he asked, deep lines furrowing his already tired and ageing

brow.

Will cursed himself for allowing himself the momentary lapse to let

Deanna back into his head forcing him to lose himself to her rather

than what lay ahead. He inwardly moaned as yet again that just saying her

name allowed the damn picture that he kept tucked away in the corner of

his heart and mind to wave in front of his eyes and torment him for another

fraction of a second.

_Damn it, Deanna, get out of my head or I swear, I'll bloody strangle_

_you!_

"I'm fine!" he growled making the mistake of glancing at the older

man and seeing the worry in his eyes impelling Will to curb his bitter

attack. "I just want to get this done and get out of here in one piece."

Tang nodded thoughtfully and then quietly turned his eyes back to the

encampment below. Will followed suit surprised that he hadn't made a

comment and then after a moment, when he thought he was home free, Tang

muttered, his wisdom softening his advice, "Leave her at home, son."

Will's chin dropped to his chest, his eyes closing against the pain

that flared through his soul as he silently thought to himself as he

struggled to get himself back together, and back to the present,

"I'm trying, Tang, but it's bloody hard."

Tang didn't answer his silent but no less desperate admission. Instead the

two men and the rest of the landing party focused their attentions on

the scene down below, watching and learning about the men that they were

going to kill, one way or the other. The only thing they had to decide

was whether it was going to be now, or later.

Tbc...


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter twenty

When nightfall finally descended across their half of the planet and

when the last dying embers of the camp fires petered out to nothing more

than a smouldering pile of ash, the residents each retired to

their tents. Will and his team slowly and silently backed away and made

their way back to their own craftily concealed shuttles, a trek that

took them almost two hours made easier by the coolness of night. When

they had arrived it was in the burning rays of the morning sun.

The walk, even though it was relatively hurried, was guided with a

sense of satisfaction. After observing the Sindareen for the entire day;

watching them making plans, studying maps and haviing the occasional punch

up when tempers flared, it seemed that the entire raiding party was

present; no more arrived.

So was that it? The Starfleet officers asked themselves over and over

and continued to churn over the same question on their way back. Were

any more coming? Was that just the first wave of a raiding party, or was

that _really_ it?

Relieved and starving when they finally reached the sanctuary of their

shuttles the men soon made short work of the food rations allotted to

each man. They had enough for three days hoping that within two they

would be back home on Betazed and back with their loved ones.

Now the immediate danger was over Will allowed Deanna to fill his

senses without guilt. Satiated with a full belly and a small snifter of

whisky someone had passed around Will stood, stretched as much as he

could within the small shuttle's confines and then stepped outside

letting his long body prop itself against the shiny hull and slide

down slowly until he was seated on the cool, dusty earth.

Closing his eyes he let her image swim before his eyes, smiling

tenderly as he watched her drop the red dress to the ground, step out of

it and kick it away. Licking his suddenly dry lips he watched as she

sashayed up close to him as naked as the day she was born and walked

straight into his arms and then straight into his heart. He then began

to kiss her running his hands over every soft curves. As he slipped not

only his hot tongue into the welcoming recess of her mouth, but the

long, thick length of him inside of her virginal heat, her whimper of submission

and ecstasy splashed over his senses like a waterfall from heaven.

Will barely registered the movement as he heard Tang approach. He knew

it was Tang purely by the way he huffed and puffed as he too shifted his

ageing body down beside his. Without opening his eyes Will smiled,

gently tucking away his erotic fantasy for another time when he needed

her. "You're getting old, Sergeant," he murmured so that those inside

the shuttle couldn't hear the teasing.

But Tang had a smart comeback of his own, "I can still whup your ass,

boy, make no mistake about that!" he said, good-naturedly.

Will chuckled at the image that replaced the one that he'd tucked

away for safe-keeping.

"I'll keep that in mind next time you're near enough to snag me, because

you sure as hell couldn't out-run me," he bantered back.

"Don't be so sure," he retorted with humour, "I'm really the bionic man

in disguise. Got me some jet-powered legs hiding underneath these pants,

just saving them for just such a cause."

Will couldn't help himself as he roared with laughter, pushing himself

to a weary stand and automatically turning to extend a hand to the

man still seated.

Tang's humour vanished as he studied Will in the moonlight for a moment

before suddenly beaming from ear to ear, reaching for the proffered hand

and allowing Will to take the brunt of his weight as he heaved him to

his feet failing to hide the wince as his knees protested against the

too short reprieve.

"Damn," he muttered with a smile, "Could've sworn I put my legs on this

morning."

Laughing both men entered the shuttle flicking the switch to close

the hatch as they did so. Looking around at the other three occupants

that were already bunked down for the remainder of the night to get some

sorely needed shut-eye, Will somehow felt better than he had done for

some time.

Maybe it was because their enemy was just a handful of trouble that

could be taken out with the minimum of fuss. And maybe it was because

Deanna Troi had replenished his soul just enough to reinforce his love

of life, and her.

tbc...


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter twenty one

"Sit down Deanna, you're making me dizzy." Her mother grumbled trying

her hardest to avoid watching the pacing young woman and concentrate on

the book in her hands. It was futile and a moment later unable to take

the strain any longer she dropped the delicate book into her lap and

put her full focus upon her daughter, the silence heavy as she struggled

to find something to say that she would want to hear. "He's all right,

you know," she said unnecessarily.

Coming to a full stop in front of her mother Deanna studied her intently,

looking for the lie but not finding it. Deanna sighed audibly before

dropping, finally, into the armchair making it groan with the sudden,

rapid weight, "I know. It's just..."

Lwaxana Troi reached across and squeezed her fingers, forcing a half-

smile across her ageing features and instantly understanding what was

racing around the younger version of herself, in more ways than one. "I

know," she commiserated. "It's just wanting him back."

Deanna's eyes found hers as her surprise at the very honest and very

knowledgeable insight to her feelings come at such a relief that tears sprung to

her dark eyes. Seeing her mother sitting beside her seemingly waiting

alongside her, reminded Deanna of a similar scene many, many years ago.

So long ago that she could barely remember it. But she did remember the look

of anguish and pain upon her mother's face, and then, in a heartbeat,

everything fell into place .

"You had to do this with daddy, didn't you?" she asked, already knowing

what her answer would be.

But the older woman simply smiled even though it took a monstrous

effort to make the tiny smile genuine and hide the ache that pushed in

from a very long past distant memory, "Yes, darling, I did," she

squeezed her fingers tighter making Deanna inwardly wince. But Lwanxana

never dreamt of revealing how much it still hurt and unaware that she was

revealing a very private moment that was so rare to see.

Deanna spoke her apology, "I'm sorry to make you relive that again

because of me."

Tugging at her fingers suddenly needing the comfort of her daughter in

her arms, Lwaxana moved over as Deanna seated herself beside her, her

arms snaking around her mother's shoulders in a gesture that revealed a

child's love for its parent despite everything, even re-stepping in

their exact same footsteps.

Lwaxana drank in Deanna's affection and savoured the precious and rare

moment clinging onto it as though it were a lifeline. Even though

Deanna had a heart full of love for every being in the universe, when it

came to her - her own kin, it was very carefully reserved for

situations just like this one.

She knew why, and she understood why; Deanna didn't want to get hurt by

those who loved her most and Lwaxana took comfort in that. And pride.

Her child had seen a lot of hurt in her short life, especially when she

was smaller, and Lwaxana had made a supreme effort to get her through

those dark times and bring her up to remember the past with affection

rather than dwell on the wounds that would never heal, no matter how

hard she tried.

The pang of this duplicated scene brought tears to her own eyes and

taking a delicate sniff into the tiny lace hanky that she had tucked up

her sleeve Lwaxana pulled away hiding her face, valiantly trying to

hide the pain that she knew was etched upon her classic face. But she

didn't quite manage to achieve her aim as Deanna spoke.

"I'll finish whatever I have with Will, if it hurts you that much,

Mother." The revelation surprising Deanna as much as the woman opposite

her.

Lwaxana Troi's head snapped around, her watery eyes blazing with shock

as she stared closely into Deanna's face unable to truly believe what

she had just heard. Rapidly pushing herself to a stand and severing the

closeness that only seconds ago promised much more than an intimate

moment between a mother and her daughter, she rounded on her."Don't be

absurd, Little One," She laughed, the sound leaving her mouth in a much

higher pitch than normal revealing it's falseness. "As much as I wish

your relationship with William had never evolved to the level that it

did, nothing can _ever_ be finished between you."

And then sense and determination come to the fore just when she needed

it most of all. Clenching her fists, she stared her down at her only child and Deanna

cowered back, reeling with the fury that poured from her mother's heart. "You

are going to sit here and wait for your Imzadi to come home, Deanna, and when he

does you are going to be there, with your arms and your heart wide

open, because, many years ago, on a night like this, your father went on

a mission against my wishes and I was livid with him. I never saw him

off and I never saw him come back."

Her voice broke,but she was determined to finish what she'd started.

Determined to make Deanna see the importance of not only the fragile

Imzadi union that had was so fresh and so deliciously new but what they're

future separated by death could do to them. They still had so much to

explore together and so much to learn, but maybe they didn't have enough time.

_There was never enough time_.

And then there was Will.

He needed the strength of their Imzadi bond to get him through this and

any other mission he would undoubtedly be involved in. He needed that

lifeline. He needed to know that Deanna was there waiting for him,

willing him to come home to be back with her, safe and sound.

Taking a deep breath, Lwaxana filled her words with power again, her

fury turning to a threat, a threat that she intended to make her keep.

"So don't you dare give up on Will now, do you hear me, child?"

Her words echoed around the room and around Deanna as she absorbed her

mother's extraordinary demand and timidly nodded her acquiescence,

Only then did the sense and determination vanish from Lwaxana's rigid body and

the tears that had only threatened minutes before raced down her cheeks

like a scalding torrent.

Deanna watched her mother exit the room as though the devil was on her

tail as her own silent promise became trapped in the draft that her long gown

created_, I will wait, Mother. I promise_, she vowed as her own tears

began falling for her mother's loss from a time like this so long ago.

Some were for herself, and some were for the man who was putting his life

on the line for her. And some were for her mother who was reliving her

own personal tragedy, a tragedy that she herself may have to suffer if

her own Imzadi didn't make it home.

_God help him. God help them all. _

Tbc...


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter twenty two

Spirits were high when the men arose at the crack of dawn the next

morning, despite only having four hours sleep and in conditions that were

as far removed as they could be from their warm, cosy beds back at base.

But even the meagre breakfast couldn't dampen the men's eagerness to get

the day started, the job done and then get home again for a sumptuous,

well earned feast tonight, _if _everything went according to plan.

Walking back towards the shuttle after doing his own personal

ablutions, Will whistled as he raked his hands through his dark hair and

unsuccessfully tried to flatten the damp ends that perpetually stuck up

on end when it got a half inch over long.

At first he ignored the feint buzz, thinking it to be bugs of some

Kind, especially as a couple of close by ones attempted to make a meal

of his neck and he swiped them away automatically raking his hand

through his hair to flatten the re-raised area, cursing mildly

as he did so, "Damn, pesky gnats. Go away and nibble on somebody else."

But the buzz didn't dissipate. It grew louder, nearer, ominous and

Will began to feel a wave of terror wash over him when it sank in that

it wasn't pesky bugs he was hearing, but space ships.

Alien space ships.

Sindareen space ships.

His hands, feet and heart froze as the distinct whine of ships engines

grew louder. Shielding his eyes with the same hand that only moments ago

was raking though his hair and now damp with perspiration as the dread

began to claw at his gut, Will scanned the horizon instinctively

looking toward the Sindareen's encampment.

Fear gushed into his soul when his eyes finally focused on the small

dots that looked like an invading swarm of flies as an ebony wave of death

that Will estimated would take less than five minutes to reach them headed

their way and he began to run.

He had to get his men off the ground as it was their only chance. On the

surface they were nothing more than sitting ducks. Somehow the

Sindareen knew that they were there. Somehow, someway, they had found

their location and had planned their attack with military precision.

Somehow their enemy knew when they would be at their most vulnerable.

They had timed it just right and had caught them still pulling their boots

on.

Will ran faster.

Even as he approached the camp he could see his men scuttling around

thanking the stars that they had heard the invading ships too and had

reacted with as much speed as the scum about to pound them.

But they needed another few minutes more to become the soldiers that they were

trained to be and not the fumbling, chaotic bunch that their superior officer

was witnessing now. They'd been caught on the hop.

Will watched as some were desperately trying to pull boots on, their

antics at any other time would have been comical as they hopped around

in an effort to get the task done faster, when in reality it would have

probably been quicker if they'd just sat down and done it. But that was

what fear did to you.

Others were throwing things into the back of the shuttles, not caring

where they landed. Will raced the last few meters, his lungs bursting

with not only the effort of running but the same fear that filled his

soul, feeling it fill every pore and every thought.

Forget the supplies!" he bellowed. "Get the ships in the air, we must

get off the ground!" he roared, as he finally ploughed into the camp

and grabbing the nearest man and physically dragging him into the ship.

Making his way to the helm, he was gratified and relieved to find Tang

already at the controls and preparing to lift off as soon as his C.O.

commanded.

It didn't take long.

"Get this bird moving, Tang, NOW! Those bastards thought they'd catch

us with our pants down. Christ! Ten minutes earlier and they would've been."

Horror lacing his words as images that were too painful to imagine

flickered through his mind. Throwing himself into his seat Will's hand

flew over the controls as years of practice simplified the tedious job.

The ship began to lift and along with it came a smidgen of relief. "Made

it...just. Good work, Tang." Will swung his gaze around the ship

checking to see if he had his full complement on board. Four men eyes wide

with fear and excitement stared back at him. "Buckle up, it's gonna get

bumpy." But nobody took any notice of their commanding officer. The buckles

were already done. Now they just had to wait for the bumps.

The air was alive with frantic tension and War. This was what they'd

come to Betazed for. This was what they'd joined the military to do; to

defend those that couldn't defend themselves.; to eradicate the scum that

preyed on the innocent; to give the Federation practise at shooting something

occasionally.

Hell, they needed it.

And hell, they were going to get it, right now.

Will flew toward the oncoming enemy ships silently balking when he saw

how many were headed straight at them. Sometime during the night more

had arrived because ahead of the Federations measly eight ships were

at least twenty Sindareen fighter craft.

Will was mortified. He'd gotten it wrong; he had underestimated the

enemy. He had believed that they were a second rate force that bared no

resemblance to the might of the Federation. He thought that they would die

as easily as stepping on a sleeping slug.

But he'd got them wrong. Terribly wrong.

Sergeant Tang marvelled at the man that sat beside him even though

he knew that Will was beating himself up for under-estimating the

Sindareen. Hell, if he'd have been in the same position he'd have

probably assumed the same thing. The only difference was he didn't have a

little lady waiting at home for him like the young lieutenant and Tang

wasn't sure if that was a blessing, or a curse.

When he'd intruded on Will's private time last night it was as plain as

day what Will was daydreaming about and he warmed at the memory. The

only thing that he had to think about was finding a seamstress to add

another inch or so to the waistband of his struggling pants.

Tang envied him.

But that all was irrelevant now as they stared death in the face and

wondered how it was going to end. Would it be quick or would they

shoot them down and leave them to fry in the searing sun.

The mild expletive left Tang's mouth, "Shit."

Will swung a look at the other man and Tang caught the gaze and met it with one

of his own. Swallowing, Will muttered quietly, "Say a prayer for us, my

friend."

And even quieter still, Tang told him, "I already did, Sir, as soon as I

woke up this morning and found that we were still alive."

Will swung another quick look at him and Tang murmured, "But I guess

it won't hurt to say another one."

And then all hell broke loose.

Tbc...


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter twenty three

"When am I going to get to meet this man, then, Deanna?" Chandra

grinned mischievously as her eyes lit with mirth and tenderness as she

swooped on the tranquil moment that popped up in between catching up

with the news.

Deanna couldn't help her own bashful chuckles from erupting as she

glanced at her friends smiling face. "What have you heard?" she asked as

humorous exasperation packed her question as she prepared herself for

the inquisition that she, quite frankly, thought would have been

explored as soon as the two girls had gotten together.

Chandra laughed, the sound wonderful to hear against the threat of the

impending war and the loss of the military protection that allowed them

to sleep safer in their beds. The dreams to remain their own instead of

the nightmares that were sure to come. "Oh, come...on, Miss Troi.

Sometimes I wonder if you forget which planet you're on. Did you really

think you could slip that little secret of yours by me?" She asked with the

air of conspiracy written all over her features.

"If only," Deanna moaned. "Between my mother, who we all know has the

biggest mouth and mind in town, and you, who'd like nothing more than to

see me, and I quote, 'join the human race', and, 'get down and get with

it', as you like to call it, I stand absolutely no chance." She grinned

easily at her, "Go on, admit it. You're all thrilled that I've finally

burned my bridges and my bras and snagged a man."

"But not just any old man," Chandra admonished with a smile, "Not one

of our own kind. Not even someone nice and ordinary who will stick

around until you're old and wrinkly." She ploughed on relentlessly,

"Or give you half a dozen babies to keep you amused and love you until the

end of time."

Deanna laughed loudly at her friends preposterous assumption of her

Future but the slightly older woman hadn't finished yet. "Nope, Deanna

Troi, daughter of the daughter of the Third House only goes and snags

THE hottest and THE sexiest, piece of ass that ever landed on our soil."

Deanna blinked with stunned surprise not quite sure whether to be

outraged or flattered, by it seems, not only Chandra but the vast

majority of people who knew her and knew Will. In the end, she decided

to take the ribbing with the good humour that it required, "He _is_ cute,

isn't he?" she grinned shyly, her onyx eyes lighting up with the

feelings that washed through her when the man in question filled her

thoughts, standing there, tall and proud in his uniform. The smile upon

his handsome face, for her, and only for her.

Deanna sighed with longing her smile still firmly in place until

Chandra spoke again. Now the humour was gone to be replaced by a burning

need to know more. Her footsteps slowed and Deanna's feet automatically

slowed along with her, until finally they come to a full stop and, they turned

to face each other. Chandra's eyes searched Deanna's wanting to see

what lay beyond the cool exterior that everyone else saw. Only Chandra

knew that beneath the stoic surface there was a whole lot more; There

had been a woman that was dying to be loved and that at long last,

had found that love regardless of whether she was ready for it, or not.

Deanna had been trembling on the brink; fighting to hold on to her

heart and soul with all her might. But Lieutenant William Riker had

swept into her life like a force ten tornado and had tipped her over

it's edge.

"What's it like?"

For a long, companionable moment nothing was heard except distant

voices in the background all rising in alarm as the weather began to

change. And then Deanna spoke and her words were barely above a

whisper, but the whisper told more than if she had stood on a roof top

and shouted it at the top of her voice. "It's wonderful, Chandra."

The small shrug that lifted her shoulders along with the watery smile

that lit her face was as much as Deanna could convey aware that

anything else she said would not be even remotely as accurate as her

simple heartfelt response.

But Chandra didn't need her friend to say anything else. She saw it all

in her eyes. Even her aura oozed with what becoming Imzadi had meant

to her. Smiling radiantly and telling her without words that she was

ecstatic for her friends happiness Chandra slipped her arm through

Deanna's and they moved on, and with each step the euphoria that

surrounded the two finally dissipated as they finally began to take

notice of what was happening around them.

Glancing up at the sky the clouds began to thicken above their heads.

The normal turquoise, clear skies soon became a blanket of water-laden

puffs of angry rain clouds and were almost ready to dump their heavy loads onto

those below that weren't quick enough to find shelter.

Quickening their pace aware that the infrequent showers that Betazed

occasionally endured were heavy, saturating everything in seconds.

Deanna and Chandra picked up their pace and hurried towards the campus

for the afternoon session.

As the temperature dipped Chandra rubbed her arms shivering from the

sudden chills that the dark clouds sent down as a prelude of what was to

come. Still some ways from the college grounds they soon realized that

they were not going to make it back in time. Slipping her sweater off

Deanna passed it to her friend. "Here, take this."

"No, Dee, I'm fine, honest. There's no point in both of us getting

cold." Chandra protested, trying to hand the soft lemon top back to her

friend, grateful for the thought but mortified that Deanna would then

freeze while she would be all snug and warm beneath her sweater.

Deanna Troi forcibly shoved the top back into Chandra's arms, chuckling

good-naturedly as they continued to trot along relieved to see the

campus in the near distance. "Take it, Chan. I'm more than warm enough.

See, I have a long sleeved blouse on and your arms are bare. You need

It and I don't. Take it and don't argue." she said, not giving her the

chance to argue back.

Relenting after seeing the determined look upon the darker woman's

face, Chandra smiled gratefully and slipped the garment over her head and

tugged it as low as she good as Deanna was a good four inches shorter

than her taller frame, but right then, Chandra didn't care that she wasn't

a fashion icon. She was just glad to be warm again.

A crack of thunder roared through the skies so unexpectedly that both

girls leapt a foot in the air as their screeches echoed in the sudden

quiet of the surrounding area. It was hard to believe that only an hour

ago they had been walking through the park. The sun had been high in

the sky and Deanna was feeling better about Will's absence, more so

since she'd had her talk with her mother.

She knew only too well that when a couple were bonded their thoughts

were never far away from one another. Having a permanent connection

between their minds was soothing. Knowing that he was alive and okay

helped too. And knowing that he was thinking about her was even more precious

than she dared to admit and she had to keep positive, for her Imzadi's

sake.

Will would have been able to feel her, sense her pain and worry and

Eventually Deanna realized that she could be doing Will's own state of

mind some harm, and so when her best friend Chandra had called and

asked to spend some time with her away from the house before

classes Deanna was more than keen to go.

The dark canopy above their heads rolled and rumbled and the noise

became deafening as it began to rain. Deanna felt the first giant drop

hit her shoulder just as they both did a mini sprint to the college

entrance both relieved that they made it unscathed.

But then above the roar of the storm, they heard something else.

Something far more ominous than the rain, and when they both swung

around on the college steps they watched in horror as a huge ship swept

down, its size creating a shadow that blacked out the entire college

grounds, like a huge bird of prey swooping down after it's quarry.

And then it found what it was looking for and slowed, finally coming

to a halt as it hovered before them like a vast, shadowy, evil praying

mantis preparing itself to do its worst. The two girls along with a

score of others that had accumulated upon the college steps stood

frozen and unable to move, unable to break their eyes away from the

hypnotizing scene before them, until a whining sound broke their gaze

away from the ship's hull, their eyes dropping to the ships

under-carriage, watching fearfully as two doors opened.

From then on everything turned to slow motion; the whole universe

slithered to a fractional crawl letting everything evil savour on the

chaos it had gathered up into its embrace. Someone screamed and then

they all began to scream, the men and the women as the evil began to

spew forth its poison. Turning, everyone hurtled themselves toward the

glass doors behind them, desperately trying to squeeze their bodies

through the too small gap which were only designed to fit two people at a time

instead of the mad crush that now besieged it, the doors seemingly growing smaller in

protest as it held them back, keeping them out. Maybe it knew better than

those poor souls. Maybe it realised that they were safer outside rather than in.

But no one listened.

Deanna, still transfixed and unable to move, could only watch in horror

as two identical missiles left the alien ship and headed straight for

her. Deserted by her friend as she had made a desperate run for her own

life into the building that had stood proudly for the past seventy plus

years, Deanna closed her eyes never feeling more alone than she'd ever

felt before and then let her own screams join the others, her last

thoughts were of never seeing her beloved Will ever again.

Tbc...


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter twenty four

Smoke and fire filled the air blinding everything and everyone in the

melee of battle. Battered craft swirled and danced as each and everyone

desperately evaded the crisscross of missiles, laser fire as well as trying to dodge

the perished ships that fell from the skies now all almost invisible against the rising

sun that was still blazing its path higher and blinding man and enemy alike.

Will and Tang were hot on the tail of a wounded Sindareen ship that not

only still managed to avoid the hit that would send them plunging to the

scorched earth below but was still capable of shooting a Federation

ship down. Knowing it was doomed it threw missiles non-stop from it's

heart as it boldly ran from its pursuer, its last piece of action

before it died the death of a hero to his own kind.

Deftly evading a hail of gunfire that approached them from the side,

Will spun the ship in a death roll, dipping low to the planet, the

bullets skittering off their belly in a shower of sparks that

momentarily blinded them.

But the two men weren't concerned about something so minor. Their eyes

were focused solely on the crippled ship ahead. Kicking the ship

into a lower gear Will banked down further and faster, almost scraping

the ground below and manoeuvring himself beneath the enemy craft before quickly,

and surely releasing their own missile straight into the ship's hull,

the whole crew whooping with satisfaction as they watched it jerked upwards

momentarily before turning on its ass and spiralled out of control and

exploding as it crashed into the small hill nearby.

But their moment of euphoria soon evaporated when Pilot Jameson John's

urgent voice came through the comm.{You've got one on your ass,

Lieutenant! When I count to 3, swing right!" Will heard him swallow

noisily before the numbers quickly followed. {One. Two. Three!}

On the three, Will swung his ship away and the ensuing nearby explosion

rocked his craft with enough force to throw the rear passengers to the

floor. Tang hung onto the consul with white knuckles whilst Will

valiantly tried to stop the ship from spinning out of control, his

stomach churning and rolling, protesting against the brutal treatment.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when she finally righted herself and

swung away to steady, not only the ship, but their nerves too before

swinging back to join the melee once more.

Stabbing at the communication button before him, Will spoke, "Thanks

for the heads up, Jameson. We owe you."

{Any time Lieutenant. Now let's go and get another one.}

Both ships turned about and headed back side by side, their sights

already homed in on another two targets that were in pursuit of one of

their own.

But just as he was lining up for the killing strike, Lieutenant William

Riker gasped out loud as he felt something horrible ripple through his

senses knocking him off balance for a moment and making him veer away from

the intended target that was hastily retreating away from his pursuing

ship.

More than surprised at his leader sudden movement, Tang glanced at Will

when he heard the gasp of invisible pain that left his mouth. He was

more surprised at the unexpected retreat from a certain hit on the

Sindareen ship ahead.

"Will?" the older man asked, puzzlement etched upon his weathered face.

"What's wrong?" as he focused on the younger man's sudden pallor and

haunted gaze.

But Will was gone; lost to the torment of his mind and searching for it's

source by reaching into his mind's deepest places, desperately grasping

for a link to the woman he loved.

And then he found her huddled in a pathetic heap on the ground, crying

as though her heart had been ripped away from her soul as she tried to

block out whatever was happening to her and around her, her screams,

high and hysterical. The pitiful sound ricocheted around Will's head,

leaving him feeling helpless, hopeless.

"Deanna." He murmured, his eyes wide with shock and staring at nothing and

Only seeing only her. Seeing her in her darkest moments.

And he wasn't there. He wasn't there to help her. Be with her. Comfort

her. Hold her.

"Deanna." He moaned again, his own agony and loss adding to his

troubled thoughts.

Will blinked away the vision when the man beside him shouted at him. Tang was

Incensed, his anger sparking as quick as a flame to paper, "Damn it,

Lieutenant! This is NOT the..." he barked, understandable ignorance

causing him to react in a way that was rare to see.

"No! no, Tang, it's not that," he quickly reassured, struggling to keep

a focus on his thoughts and on Deanna, frantically searching his mind for

the lost contact. "Something's happened. Something's wrong," he fretted,

fear tingeing his voice. "I...I heard her scream, Tang," tapping his

temple, "in here."

Tang stared at him as though he was mad before forcibly moving his

eyes away and looking out of the window to see if there was a Sindareen

ship on their ass. When he was briefly happy that they weren't about to

be blown to pieces, he turned back to his partner. "How do you know?" he

demanded. "You're not a Betazoid, Son. You're not supposed to be able to

read minds."

Will glanced at him, then back at the controls swallowing the bile

that began to rise from deep in his gut, still queasy from the stunt a

few moments before. He glanced back at Tang, wanting him to understand

with his own eyes what he was telling him. "I can with Deanna."

After a long moment, as long as he could afford, Will watched Tang's

face change and watched the comprehension finally dawn."You've become

Imzadi," He stated, his voice holding a hint of envious awe. "That

explains a whole heap of things."

But that was as far as the intimate conversation got - as intimate as

it could be with two men sitting behind hanging onto every word, because

even as Will's revelation sank into Tang's befuddled mind plus Will's

distraction as he desperately tried to focus on Deanna's plight, neither

one spotted the missile that was coming their way.

Lieutenant Jameson John could only stare in horror when seconds later

he witnessed his commanding officer's ship blow up like an erupting

volcano before his very eyes and then watch it spin to the ground and

explode once more, bursting into angry flames that clawed up to the

skies above obliterating everything within its reach.

Intent on getting his ship on the ground to check for survivors,

Jameson was oblivious to what was happening around him until his

helmsman spoke, "Sir, abort the landing! We can't go down, they're on

our ass!"

Jameson tore his eyes away from the scene below, looked behind him and

gasped in terror. The remainder of the Sindareen fleet; six ships out of

all that met them in battle were now in hot pursuit. Jameson had only

one choice left to him and his scared crew. He had to run. He was the

last surviving Federation ship, and he was in deep, deep, trouble.

Taking one final distressed glance at the burning wreckage beneath him

searching vainly for any sign of life and hoping beyond hope that someone -

anyone made it out before it hit the ground, Jameson swung his ship

away. Wracked with guilt at failing his C.O., Lieutenant John and his

crew ran for their lives without looking back.

Tbc...


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter twenty five

One enormous muddy coloured boot stepped down from the ship slowly

followed by another matching one. Once on solid ground both feet slowly

turned towards her and Deanna couldn't stop her eyes from rising

higher, and then higher still before finding the Sindareen's face.

He was tall, taller than Will by a good three or four inches, and

despite his alarming pallor which Deanna assumed was natural, he had a

mean and vicious aura about him. Judging by the way that other members of

his team that had descended after him and all stood much shorter than he, and

much less fearsome, Deanna knew instinctively that he was the leader.

The Sindareen's gaze surveyed his handy work, his face impassive and

uncaring as it slowly turned from left to right finally settling back

to the carnage she was aware that lay behind her. Where she knew that

her friend, her dearest friend lay deathly still in a mangled heap. She

could hear sounds; pitiful wails of dying, distraught and

scared people all around her, but Deanna's own silence, she knew, was

caused by shock; the deep shock of loss.

But when the giant Sindareen moved towards her Deanna found that her

quietness was an unconscious mistake and she soon realised that he was

selecting her _because_ she wasn't making a noise. Steely intent filled

his being as he bent before her and wrenched her to her feet, roughly

holding onto her tighter as her knees buckled from the pain of her many minor

injuries as well as the terror that rendered her as useless as a babe in arms.

Deanna winced as he dragged her up from the floor. Her injuries, even

though they were mostly minor still managed to emit a hiss of searing pain

especially when he reached behind her to support her, causing her to

flinch away from his touch. Of course he only held on tighter then thinking

that she was going to make a run for it, but she didn't, nor would she.

Even though Deanna had no idea what her back looked like she knew that

she had sustained a number of cuts from the sharp shards of glass that ripped right

through her top and embedded themselves in her delicate skin. She'd

felt tiny rivers of blood trickle down but hadn't dared reach round to

check if the blood loss was major. She had a feeling that she wouldn't

have wanted to know.

Her hair she knew must be a mass of frizzy, matted and melted strands.

She could smell the unmistakable stink of burnt tresses even amongst

the odours of the burning corpses that lay behind her, and it was a smell that

would live in her memory forever more.

When Deanna's feet refused to carry her weight she found herself swung

Into his huge arms as the stench of his alien body assaulted her nostrils

and she gasped before adapting her breathing to take in shallow

breaths to reduce the intake to her sensitive nose.

His breathing was also an alarming noise seeming to come from

gill-like structures along his neck that moved much like a fish's, the

rasp sounding hoarse and painful, even though he gave no indication of

it being so.

It was then that Deanna suddenly realised what was going on; what was

happening to her. He was taking her to his ship. He was going to kidnap

her, or maybe worse! As he reached the bottom of the ladder that he had only

just stepped down from - was it only minutes ago? - Deanna finally sparked

to life, the Sindareen starting in surprise as she jerked in his grasp

in her futile, pathetic attempt to free herself from the inevitable

capture.

Deanna yelped as his massive fingers tightened their grip on her slim

arms and she was fully aware that if he chose, he could snap the thin

bones in two, but at that moment she didn't care. She had to get away

from him because she knew, if she left this planet, her home, her

family, she would die. Tales from long ago about the Sindareen still

swam around her head; stories of torture, and rape, and murder.

Somewhere, sometime, long ago, when as children, they had spoken in

dreaded awe about the, 'bad people', there had even been rumours of

cannibalism.

She had to get away, she just had to. She had to try.

Deanna squirmed and twisted, boldly trying to turn enough out of his

grip to jump away as her whimpered pleas, high pitched with the terror

that oozed from her very soul as scenarios that had no right to belong

in the mind of a young woman filled her thoughts. Intimate unions that

she had shared with Will, with her Imzadi, were sullied and pushed aside by

visions of brutal violations that she feared were in her imminent future.

Will. Oh, God, Will. Where was he? She needed him, but he wasn't here.

He wasn't even in her thoughts any longer, severed eons ago when she had

cried out to him as her world died around her. One minute he'd been

there and reaching out for her, and the next, gone.

_Gone. _

Will was gone. Deanna struggled to remove him from her mind. Tried to

imagine him lost to her forever, but she couldn't do it. She couldn't

let him go. She wouldn't let him go. But the word still drenched her soul,

pulling her deeper into the abyss.

_Gone. _

The fight left her body as the loss began to permeate her soul

bringing her out of the dazed-like state. Deanna began to wail as though

her heart would break, drawing the Sindareen's attention to her face. He

stared down at her, his strange mouth turning hard as the noise filled

his head. He hated noise as much as he hated the pathetic humanoid race

that were weak and stupid.

Even with soldiers from other worlds, what good had it done them? Where

were they when the planet needed them in their darkest hour?

The Federation were off chasing his decoy group. The gullible fools had

fallen for the trap.

The thought tickled the Sindareen and suddenly he began to roar with

laughter deliberately shutting out his captive's cries as climbed up

the ladder and bundled her non-too-gently inside. Following her in, he

all but threw her into the vast empty cavernous hold towards several

other captives that had already been loaded.

Instinctively, Deanna and her fellow prisoners huddled together all

holding onto one another as the women whimpered quietly into the men's

embraces whilst the men watched the activities going on around them with

terror clutching at their hearts.

Soon three more Betazoids joined them and none were seriously injured, and

Deanna realised it was purposeful. Minor injuries meant less hassle and

better bargaining chips. And maybe also less injuries meant better

torture sessions, and better games for the brutes that would undoubtedly

take advantage of the women. And if they were going to be eaten, fresh,

live meat tasted a whole lot better than battered and bruised dead meat.

Deanna briefly wondered if her childhood stories were true or had it been just the

work of young, over-active imaginations. She hoped with all her heart that it

was the latter.

The man Deanna clung to, a man that Deanna didn't recognise, felt her

Fears and her pain. Hugging her tighter she heard him speak silently to

her_. I won't let them hurt you, Little One, not as long as I'm still _

_breathing._

Her own breath shuddered past trembling lips as she sighed with

gratitude uncaring about the fact that he had used her mother's pet-

name for her. Just knowing that there was someone there, with her and for

her was beyond relief. Will couldn't be there for her in her hour of

need but this man would be, she was sure. She didn't understand why she

suddenly felt safe - as safe as she could be under the circumstances,

but safe enough to let him step in and just be there, for whatever

was to happen.

_Thank you, whoever you are_

But minutes later, the moment's relief and comradeship that swept around

the small group of terrified prisoners got swept away on a tide of

horror as the ship's engines started up and the hold door slowly began

to close enclosing them into an inky black darkness that was as

terrifying as what they knew lay ahead. The roar of the engines were so loud

that they obliterated everything that ran through their minds.

Everything except the terror.

And as the ship began to lift off the ground, behind Deanna a woman

began to scream, and seconds later, Deanna's scream joined hers.

Tbc...


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter twenty six

The darkness surrounded Will like a comforting blanket. For the first

time in hours he felt relatively safe and he allowed himself a moment

or two to drop his head back against the chilled sand, close his eyes

and hope that the few minutes respite would be enough to see him through

the long hours of the night.

_Deanna. _

She drifted into his dream like a butterfly on the breeze, fluttering

into his mind's eye, letting his heart warm with her presence. Lord

knows he needed her there more than ever_. Imzadiiiii_ he heard, the

sacred word replenishing his soul brought forth by his own desperate

need to hear something more than the stillness of night that was heavy with

suspended foreboding.

But Will refused to let their hovering predicament sully his precious

moment with Deanna. The Sindareen could wait. He needed, _Her,_ just for

a moment longer, just to help him through.

He ached all over. The aches hurt more than the multitude of tiny

burns upon his exhausted body and his uniform, tattered and singed, hung in

ragged strips around his torso. It was caked in soot, dust and gritty

sand that bit at his sores adding to his misery. But he was okay. He

was alive.

But then he opened his eyes and glanced at the battered soul beside

him. Tang. The poor old fella had struggled to jump free from the

exploding ship and had suffered dearly for it. Will assumed his age had

made him slower and less quicker to react. Or maybe he just got stuck on a

piece of the ship's interior. Or maybe he just got unlucky.

Will shuddered when he thought back, his mind letting Deanna go back to

her tiny hideaway until another moment in time when he would need her.

_How did they escape_? He wondered, the question still managing to emit

a disbelieving shake of his head.

It was a miracle, he surmised, nothing short of that. The missile that

had knocked them out of the sky had hit their rear engine head on,

springing open the rear door and creating a vortex that sent the ship into

a spin which had thrown the four men from their seats to the floor.

Tearing metal groaned in agony as it tore itself away from its fixtures.

Amongst the screams that filled the small space, Will heard his own. He

was sure it was his own. It sounded like his voice because it sounded

terrified; certain that he was about to die. Certain that another higher

pitched scream he could hear was his Imzadi's. Was she somehow watching

his death from afar and feeling his terror? Maybe she knew that they were

never to touch one another ever again. That thought alone hurt Will much more

than the possibility that his life was about to end.

As the ship spiralled towards the ground alarmingly quick, the men

managed to jump clear before impact, rolling away just as the ship blew

apart. The gust from the blast forced the men further away from the fire

that tried to snatch at them, its fiery fingers reaching out, livid that

it had was being denied.

But it still had one man in its clutches. Lieutenant Tang. He hadn't

made it. As the three men scampered away from the ship, Will didn't

notice that only two bodies had followed him until he reached a point

that he considered safe enough away to stop and take stock. When he turned to

aid his men Will almost died on the spot when it was clear that his

friend was missing.

Unable to see or hear through the dust created from the still battling

ships above and the flames and smoke of their own felled shuttle only a

few meters away, Will's eyes smarted from the burning fumes and grit.

Will had only one option and that was to call to his comrade and hope

that he was still alive.

"TANG!" he roared, immediately succumbing to a coughing fit as the heat

burned his throat. He tried once more but the first effort had singed

his vocal chords and he gasped as the searing pain tore at his tender

membranes. For the time being he could do nothing more than wait, and

pray.

Eventually, as the canopy of dust and smoke that clouded around them

slowly lifted Will eventually spied the old man. Trapped beneath a lump

of the hull, Tang lay still. Deathly still. Will was torn between

revealing himself to those above and risking all to pull his friend

free of the burning wreckage, or fleeing away from the scene in the vain

hope that their enemy would conclude that they had all perished.

Taking another anguished look at the trapped man and still seeing no

sign of life, Will, with his heart ripped in two with the loss of a man who

had treated him more like a son than his own father had done, wrenched

himself away with the other two surviving members of his crew, moving

towards another felled ship. It was a Sindareen ship and they hid

beneath its vast, broken wings out of sight from the battle still

raging in the skies above his head.

It felt like hours, but in reality it was probably only minutes - the

longest minutes of Will's life, before the fight above him suddenly took

a turn for the worse. Will's heart ached as he watched another

Federation ship explode in mid air, more than conscious that the crew

could never had survived.

But worse still, there was only one Federation ship left and Will

instantly recognized it as Jameson John's ship, the man that had saved

their lives a little earlier on. But now he was in dire need of rescue

himself as aware that he was out-numbered and alone, Jameson and his

crew had turned about and ran for their lives. But as he ran, he had six

Sindareen ships on his ass.

Will was acutely aware that John's was his only hope of either rescue

or at the very least to relay a message back to base to report survivors

on foot. But then Will suddenly thought, his heart pounding with panic,

What if he hasn't see us. Nobody knows we're here. Nobody but the

bloody Sindareen. _Oh, shit!_ he groaned.

Will and his men watched with a mixture of worry and relief as the lone

Federation ship disappeared out of sight over the distant horizon,

leaving behind a deafening silence only broken by the crackle of

burning fuselage. All three men in unison turned their heads to their

own ship with one thought on their minds; Tang.

They all scurried towards him with the wave of desperate dread etched upon

their dirty, scorched faces. "Tang!" Will croaked as he reached his

side, his hand instinctively reaching for the pulse in his neck as his

eyes searched his charred and blistered face for any sign of life.

Will barely suppressed the tears of gratitude as he felt the very feint

rhythm beneath his burnt fingertips. But even so, he couldn't contain

the gasp of joy, his eyes relaying the good news to the other two men

who sat on their haunches on the other side of the felled man.

But seconds later, Bobby Tiller leapt to his feet, encouraged by his

leaders findings and made his way to the rear of the shuttle in the hope

that he can get inside and salvage anything useful - especially a medikit.

Gently tapping Tang's face as he tried to rouse the unconscious man

Will spoke gently to his friend."C'mon, Tang, I know you're in there.

We need you awake, old man." He looked to his remaining team member who

watched Will working on the Lieutenant and worry laced his words, "We've

gotta get our asses away from here before those bastards come back." He

tapped the craggy face once more, "Tang. Tang!" he croaked.

William Riker and Zakar Trez, the only alien amongst Will's team, heard

the distinct sound of an extinguisher which raised their hopes that the

ships interior was accessible. But moments later, those hopes were

dashed when Bobby stepped back to their sides, gingerly holding a

smouldering medicine case in his hands, the heat from the metallic casing

still hot enough to burn.

"Sorry, Sir, doesn't look like this is any good. I can't even prise the

catch open as it's melted that much." Slinging it to one side, disgusted

that his moment of glory had to go up in a puff of smoke along with the

medikit, he added, "Nothing else is salvageable either, Sir. Want me to

check out the other ships? Might be able to find something useful."

Will hadn't taken his eyes off Tang's face as he continued to try and

rouse the big man. But after Bobby had given his report on his findings,

Will first looked at him as he pondered over his question, then swung

his gaze over the distant horizon searching for returning Sindareen

ships.

"I don't think we can afford the time, Tiller. Chances are they'll come

back to see if there are any survivors. I think we need to move, and

move now, especially while the sun is up. I can't see them bothering

with us after nightfall - maybe we can come back then and have a nose

around. But for now, I think we need to get as far away from here as we

can."

And then a heavy, telling silence descended and Will felt the gaze of

the two other men fall upon the still unconscious, prone man, his own

eyes dropping as he realized what was going through their minds. "I'm not

leaving him behind." he vowed.

Both men went crimson, instantly contrite of their thoughts, the

silence stretching out uncomfortably as the three men volleyed their

objections with their eyes. Will said it again, more forcibly this time.

"We are _not_ leaving him behind, even if I have to carry him myself."

Bobby glanced at Zakar and Will wondered what was going through their

minds. He couldn't really believe that they would even consider leaving

Tang behind, if not to certainly die, then to possibly be captured by

the Sindareen, if and when they came back.

Zakar's voice broke his pondering. "It was Lieutenant Tang's orders,

Sir." he said, warily.

"What orders?" Will asked, already figuring out what they were going to

say.

Tiller took over. "Wounded were to be left behind, Sir, no matter what.

They were too much of a burden on retreating survivors. Said they'd hold

them back, Sir. We got to leave them...him, behind, Sir." he ended,

lamely.

Will, shell-shocked with the revelation, slowly pulled himself to a

stand using his full height to its full advantage as he squared up to

the two now cowering men. "And do you agree with this..." he struggled

momentarily to find the right word and ended up spitting, "regulation?"

Once again the two men looked to each other for confirmation, and once

again it was Zakar who spoke first, "Well...not personally, Sir, but

rules are rules, aren't they, Sir?"

Will took a deep breath as he realized that they weren't actually,

'happy' with the ruling, so he figured it was time to change it. "Yes,

they are, Trez. But likewise, new rules can be made, can't they

gentlemen?" He looked to them both for confirmation. The two men nodded

in agreement already the relief of Will's suggestion lifting the burden

of leaving a wounded man behind.

"Good," Will said, "The new rules are that as long as a wounded man

doesn't endanger us any more than the danger that we are already in,

then we take him home with us. Understood?"

Two heads bobbed in unison before him. Two distinctly lighter voices

spoke up in tandem too, "Understood, Sir. Thank you, Sir."

Will took another deep breath, but this time it was one of relief, "Okay.

Now then, let's see if we can find something - anything that we can make

into a make-shift litter." His eyes already moving around the battle

site looking for possibilities.

Less than an hour later, the three men plus a very angry Tang, even if

he was still half dead but awake enough to cause a ruckus at having his

own rule broken by a mere, pain-in-the-ass juvenile, made their way

towards the distant hills and hopefully safety but all fully aware that they

were entirely, on their own.

_But were they_?

Tbc...


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter twenty seven

"Three survivors, in those hills," he pointed off to the far horizon,

"I want them found."

Moments before his gaze had searched the surrounding barren desert

inch by inch, the exploration hampered by the swirling rusty clouds of

dust rising up from dead ground resembling miniature tornado's. As the

slate-grey eyes reached the protruding crags sweeping over them

disinterestedly and barely giving them a glance, something tickled in

the back of his mind and he slowly swung his eyes back. It was the only

logical destination. It was the only way to go. It was the only safe

place to hide.

On arrival it had taken the party a while to survey the metal

graveyard. The still smouldering and twisted beyond recognition carcasses

of both Federation and Sindareen craft lay strewn over a two mile radius. And

just as tragically lay the dead and dying souls that had given their

lives to fight the cause. The dead were quickly vaporised. There was no

time for elaborate funerals, and the dying enemy were treated to the same

fate. Then their own wounded were mercifully transported onto the ship

hovering not too far away in orbit.

One by one, the reconnaissance party moved from one torn ship to

another searching for survivors and thoroughly destroying the ships so

that the enemy couldn't gain any knowledge of their technology.

That was until they reached one of the last ships that fell to earth

like a fatally wounded bird. The men milled around the Federation craft

searching for its occupants and not finding one. But then the leader

spotted the abandoned medikit tossed away, discarded and already

half-covered by the red dust that blanketed the planet. As he stepped

cautiously inside the shuttle searching the hidden corners for signs of

trouble he couldn't fail to miss the tell-tale layer of oozing

extinguisher foam, now sticky from the heat and time. It could only mean

one thing;

Survivors.

Stooping as he stepped free of the confining ship, he straightened his

long form up and surveyed the nearby ground looking for evidence of

life, and then found it; footsteps. He followed their somewhat scuffed and

muddled trail towards a crashed Sindareen ship, ducking once more as he

stepped under the enormous wing studiously attempting to ascertain his

quarry's movements, and soon decided that they had remained there for

some time whilst they had watched and waited out the fight in the skies

above. Out of sight and out of relative danger.

Signalling his men, using his menacing weapon as an extension of his

arm before nonchalantly throwing the bulky, cumbersome load onto his

shoulder, the tall Sindareen raider began walking in the direction of

the distant hills, his steely eyes following the footsteps that led the

way. One by one his comrades tagged on behind him, creating a

formidable line, each one with an agenda in their mind. Each one with

hatred in their soul.

The ship descending into the metal graveyard was almost obliterated by

the red dust cloud that billowed up from the burnt earth. As they

touched down and killed the engines, it plunged them into a ominous hush

that fitted the scene of annihilation that surrounded them. A scene that

plunged its captain back in time and back to a hellish moment

that would torment and torture him for the rest of his life.

The sight of the smouldering ships shimmered out of focus to be

replaced by burning buildings. Screaming, terrified people, either

running away or rooted to the spot they stood, too dazed or too scared

to move. Moans oozed from some of the torn bodies strewn around his

feet as others lay noiseless; lifeless. Some he recognized and some he

didn't. And some, God help him, he couldn't tell, and that was the

worst. Who were they?

Who were they?

He snapped back to life when the shuttle's hatch

Lowered and the whoosh of released air pressure momentarily filling the

air breaking the eerie stillness. Four men stepped out from the ship's

belly, their phasers held firm in steady hands as they warily surveyed

the immediate area.

But instead of hate in their hearts, these men had apprehension. These

men had come to look for their venerable leader and his companions.

These men had come to take their own home, regardless of their fate.

Captain Bill Travern's eyes lit up when he spied the open hatch on the

doomed Federation craft, and with feet that were as keen as his heart,

he bounded over to the ship and stepped inside, his eyes adjusting to

the dim interior caused by the trapped dust and the setting sunset that

cast a ghostly haze over the cockpit.

He heard the rest of team come up behind him, their eyes too searching

for men that in their hearts they knew they would not find. Travern

ignored the dispirited lull that cascaded over them all, his eyes too

intent and too busy searching for clues; A sign - any sign that the men that

fell with this craft didn't perish.

But when he recognised the distinct grubby-white globs of foam that a

fire extinguisher expelled when triggered, another image flashed through

his mind, forcing his eyes to close against the visions and unable to

stop them coming; Skin. Melted skin, burnt clothes and the unforgettable

stench of burning flesh. The screams, the moans and the desperate cries for

help. He swayed with remembrance as he struggled against the pull of his

memories.

But with an effort that created a half-strangled croak erupting from

his throat, Travern pulled himself back and allowed the sight before him

to overrule the sights and sounds racing through his head, purposely

injecting the hope that his voice and heart held with his discovery.

"Survivors!" he said, turning to his fellow comrades, his relief more

than evident in his brown eyes as he hastily pushed past them to step back

outside the ship and begin the search in earnest, his determination

strengthening his demand, "Find them."

The group exited the ship and searched for signs of movement in the

drifting sands that covered the ground. But Travern soon silently howled

with frustration as he tried desperately to filter out the partial

footsteps remaini ng. It had been too long, too long since the battle had

happened, too long since he'd left a shell-shocked race of intensely

peaceful people, too long since he'd searched for, and lost the

Sindareen craft that had spirited away innocent public; men, women, even

some children from their homes and from their loved ones.

Too long since he'd heard that his revered leader's woman, Deanna Troi,

one of the planet's most admired citizens, had lost her life.

He began to tremble as he began to remember her with horror,

_Oh, God, we were gone too long. _

_Tbc..._


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter twenty eight

The hushed and terrified whispers trickled through the still dazed

captives being held in the oppressive and dimly lit hold on the Sindareen

ship. For a long time the only sounds that could be heard besides the

thrum of the engines were the pitiful cries of pain and suffering as well as

prayers that were being systematically repeated over and over.

But eventually as time passed, when it seemed that their deaths weren't

Imminent, or that they weren't about to be brutalized or raped, an

uneasy calm settled over the prisoners and they began to quietly

chatter amongst themselves. Even though each and every one of them could

communicate silently to each other by telepathy, somehow, the sound of

the spoken words added to their calm, and Deanna was no exception.

She sat in the safe curve of Jeb's arms mostly to stave off the chills

that racked her body, most of it born from terror and some from the

cold that permeated through the ship's hull as it moved further and

further away from the moon's orbit and out into the depths of open

space. They had no idea of their destiny and they had no idea what fate

had in store for them.

Jeb's hands tenderly stroked Deanna's arms the motion not only warming

her even though his own hands were chilled, but soothing her inner

hurts. She missed her home, her friends. Chandra and her mother. But most

of all, she missed Will.

"Tell me about him," he said quietly against her hair. "Tell me about

the man that has captured your heart. I've heard your mother's

interpretation of the infamous William Riker, but I want to hear yours.

Can you tell me, Deanna?" he asked gently but persuasively, as if

knowing talking about him would help her through.

It would also remind him of a love that was long lost. Jeb would have

done almost anything to feel what Deanna was feeling for her man right

then. Within his own heart his love was as powerful as hers, but without

Lwaxana, without his heart's desire, that love was as hopeless as his

life. But his love was too long past; too late for him. But it wasn't

too late for the woman in his embrace.

Jebediah Murser didn't care about his own worries. All he cared about

at this moment was that in their most desperate moments, as he had stood

and witnessed the most abominable act of his life, a voice had cried out

to him. It was a voice he knew very well. A voice that he had remembered

from a long time ago, a time when he was young and foolishly in love

with a girl that he had no chance of ever claiming for his own. This

voice, or more appropriately, the woman it belonged to, had silently

pleaded with him to help her beloved daughter.

Being one of the most powerful telepaths on the planet of Betazed,

Lwaxana Troi had seen in her mind the attack on the city centre, and

the college where she knew Deanna to be. But worse than that, she had

heard Deanna's horrific cries and unable to break through her daughters

terror. Somehow, someway, Jeb had stepped into her thoughts and told her

that he would take care of Deanna no matter what. No matter how.

And so here he was, doing as he promised for the woman he had always

loved and always silently would.

"Tell me about him," he repeated quietly, his voice thick with

emotional remembrance.

Deanna trembled violently as the pain of loss swept through her soul.

"I miss him, Jeb," she murmured, before pulling away far enough away to

look up into his eyes, her own dark orbs filling with fresh tears as

Will's love saturated her thoughts, "I need him here. I need him in my

arms." her voice breaking.

Jeb hugged her close again giving her that precious moment to gather

herself together. He knew Deanna would talk as she needed the release.

Needed to be reminded that not everything in the universe was sullied

and bad, and sure enough, barely a minute later he heard her soft

rumblings against his chest.

"He loves me, Jeb, and I love him," she said simply. "I tried and tried

not to fall in love with Will because I knew that if I did he would

break my heart." She paused momentarily as the shock of her own

confession and realization of what the future held for her came and forcibly

smacked her across the face.

How many times would this feeling of desolation and betrayal haunt

Her? For it to cast aside the good for the bad? Unthinkably disregard

Imzadi for sanity? Chase away happiness for unimaginable agony? Abuse

destiny because of what was happening to them now? And as hard as she

tried Deanna could not avoid the thoughts. They plagued her every

moment of the day, except for the few precious times that Will

physically absorbed her heart, body, mind and soul.

Jeb heard the heavy sigh leave her lungs before she said even more

quietly, "But I can't let him go. I don't think I'll ever be able to let

him go," Her shoulders lifted in a resigned shrug as though stating the

obvious held all the answers to her dilemma. "He's my Imzadi, Jeb."

She felt Jeb's chin rest on top on her head as he pondered over her

words, but when he lifted it again there was an urgent stiffening of

his whole body along with a cascading wave of uneasy silence that

drifted throughout the hold. Deanna lifted questioning eyes to his, but

Jeb's were staring ahead and with an air of foreboding and Deanna turned

her head in the same direction.

The big Sindareen that had brought her aboard stood in the doorway and

he was looking straight at her, his menacing face that had previously

been devoid of colour was now tinged with red. He appeared to be angry

at her, and she had no idea why.

But Deanna didn't have any time to wonder what had brought the anger on

as a second later he stretched his hand out and extended one long

finger towards her and slowly turned it over, bending it at the knuckle.

"You," he spat, "come here."

Tbc...


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter twenty nine

The man that still held her tight against his chest tightened his grip

even more so as he rose his eyes up from his huddled position in the cargo-hold

to look into the face of the gigantic Sindareen that stood in the

oval doorway. In reality, Jeb guessed that the man was maybe six feet

five or six but against their smallness and the fact that he clearly

had to stoop to manoeuvre around the ship's insides, he seemed gigantic.

Jeb felt the trembling woman in his arms stiffen when she'd lifted her

own eyes and realized that he'd been addressing her. Her unconsciously

whimpered, "No, please!" tore from her throat on a sob before she

buried her face against his chest, pulling her limbs closer to her body

in a valiant effort to somehow make herself disappear.

But her effort was in vain when she heard the thud of his boot as he

stepped into the hold, reached down and dragged her to her feet by her

hair, it emitting a screech of protest and pain at the brutal handling as her

hands instinctively reached up to prise his fingers loose. It was a

futile effort as his hands were like hard, ice-cold vices.

Jeb made to stand; to help her, stop them, to say something - anything to

halt whatever they had planned for his charge, but when that same boot

landed upon his ankle, snapping it in one swift purposeful stomp the

sickening noise echoing in the shocked silence, he could do nothing more

than slither back to the floor crying out in agony as he felt the bone

snap, his face draining of colour as he swallowed down his churning

stomach as the pain surged throughout his body.

Deanna screamed as she witnessed the barbaric treatment of a friend who

had become someone to hold on to, someone whose mental strength had

saved her own sanity in this desolate and cruel time. "No! No! Leave him

alone!" she cried. "I'll come quietly!" Spinning in his arms to face

the enemy, her eyes beseeched his and pleaded for mercy.

The Sindareen let out a roar of laughter that made her blood run cold.

But she didn't have time to reflect on her precarious position as he

spun her around and begun to drag her out of the hold. And then suddenly

he stopped and addressed one of the guards that stood watch by the door.

He pointed to Jeb and snapped, "Get rid of him."

Unable to stop herself, Deanna let out another ear-piercing scream,

"NO!" she sobbed making one more try at freeing herself from his grip,

her pathetic attempt only producing another heinous bout of laughter

from her captor.

She watched in horror as the guard stepped inside and reached down to

drag her quivering and terrified friend off the floor, but the boom of

anger from the man holding her made her jump out of her skin, "Not him,

fool, the piece of scum behind!"

All eyes turned to the poor soul that lay half covered and bent over in a

foetal position behind Jeb. The young man was dead. Deanna shivered with

horror as she realized that she had sat within inches of a corpse. So

wrapped up in her own grief that she hadn't noticed the dying man take his

last, painful breath and her heart broke as she pictured him dying alone

without a hand to hold his as he passed away.

They all watched with morbid fascination as the guard reached down,

dragged the man up onto his shoulder as though he weighed nothing at

all and passed them by, taking him out of the hold.

But horror turned to disgust when he dropped the man to the floor,

reach down to release the latch on a hatch and pull it open, letting

a whoosh of freezing air pour into the ship, making Deanna gasp with shock at

its frigidness, and then he simply and without ceremony or feeling

dropped the man through it, and then just as calmly, close the hatch

and bolt it down once more.

For a long moment Deanna could only stare at the metallic hatch and

imagine the poor soul free-falling through the skies, but she

deliberately closed her mind and her eyes to the vision that would

ultimately follow his arrival to solid ground. But as hard as she tried,

Deanna couldn't stop herself, her face paling with the waking nightmare.

With morbid curiosity the grinning Sindareen watched her face with

Interest until at last, satisfied that his action had received as much

revulsion from her as it could have he laughed and moved on towards the

ships control room, still dragging her along by her hair.

Pushing her free of his hold as they reached the centre of the control

room Deanna momentarily stumbled with the suddenness of her release.

Glancing around the room, taking in the three men who's backs faced her

as they busily manned their own panels, she questioningly turned to face the

big man, her eyes wide with fear.

Grinning sadistically he studied her for a brief moment and then

pointed to the control panel behind her. Puzzled, Deanna turned and

glanced at the unfamiliar set-up and then back at him, confusion etching

her wary, tired, tear-stained face.

He laughed loudly for a moment and then just as suddenly severed the

Action, and then with his overly deep voice, punctuated with venom, he

snarled, "Beg for your life, Betazoid bitch."

Tbc...


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter thirty

"Wha...what? Deanna stammered, not quite sure that she had heard him

right. Was he telling her to beg for her life to stop him

slaughtering her or did he mean call home and beg for rescue?

Her question evoked a violent response from him as he swung his mighty

arm back and slapped her heavily across the face, sending her spinning

on the spot before crumbling to the floor at his feet.

Deanna felt the distinct taste of blood trail down from her nose onto

her arid and cracked lips making the bile rise from her gut at the

smell. Blood had never been a favourite sight of Deanna's as it always

seemed to signify death and pain and at that moment both seemed to

sweep through her senses with such magnitude that, for a very brief

second, she welcomed the calm serenity of death. Anything - anything was

better than feeling the way that she did right then as her head and her

senses swam threatening to send her off to oblivion in a dead faint.

But she didn't dare. The fear of a similar fate happening to her like

the dead man kept her from doing what she most wanted to do; sleep the

nightmare away and only waking when she was safe back home with her loved

ones. Lifting a trembling hand to her swelling nose and mouth Deanna

dared to look up at the towering man before her with her pain and confusion

written all over her face.

Planting both hands upon his hips he bent over and stared her down, his

face even more menacing if that was possible than before. "I want you

to call your planet and get the remainder of the pathetic scum that

tried to outwit us to come and rescue you."

Deanna remained silent for a long time as she took in what he was

asking. He wanted Betazed's only protection to come after her and the

rest of the captives and lead them all to certain death. Who knows where

they were heading or how many other Sindareen ships were out there

waiting. She couldn't do it. Even though she knew in her heart that Will

wouldn't be amongst them she couldn't willingly sacrifice so many men.

An ancient Vulcan saying that she remembered from her schooling flitted

through her mind; ' The needs of the few outweighed the needs of the many'

There was only maybe a dozen people huddled back in the ship's hold.

There had got to be at least a hundred or more service men back on

Betazed. And then of course, there was the rest of her planet. Take away

their defences and her people, her friends, her family would be left

open to attack. She couldn't do it.

"I can't," she said with a smidgen of bravado in her voice. "I won't do

it. I won't let you kill anymore of my people."

Without even turning around he spoke to the guard hovering by the

doorway, the same guard that had thrown the poor dead man out of the

hatch. "Araak, kill the man that this bitch was with. I'll let you have

the option of how you chose to do it."

"NO! NO! DON'T!" Deanna cried, leaping to her feet. She didn't know if

he meant it or if he was bluffing. All she knew was that he was a mean

bastard without an ounce of heart and he didn't give a damn whether they

lived or died. What he wanted went beyond a few meagre captives held in

the grotty bowels of his ship. What he wanted was the Federation army,

whatever it took, whatever it cost. And at that moment, Deanna realized

that she had the fate of her whole planet laying in her tiny hands.

Dropping her chin to her chest as her grief poured from her soul as she

Muttered, utterly defeated and wretched, "I'll do it. Just don't harm

anybody else, please."

He sneered knowingly at her completely unashamed of revealing his

barbaric tactics to her. He was aware that she wouldn't tolerate him

hurting another living soul, whatever the price. Using her companion was

simply the quickest way of getting what he wanted. He could have toyed

with one of the others, but he was losing time and patience. He wanted

retribution, and he wanted it now.

He wanted to be rid of his unwanted cargo and he didn't care whether

they lived or died. But when he'd overheard the woman before talking

about a man - it had to be a man, probably a Federation man at that, he

knew he couldn't lose the chance of having another stab at ridding the

universe of a formidable force.

Taking on the mighty Federation was a huge undertaking but he figured

he could do it, if he was crafty enough, and using the woman was a small

stroke of genius. He's sensed something about her when he'd attacked the

college that she attended. Watching her standing there whilst everyone

around her went berserk instantly told him that she was different.

_Stronger_.

And he liked that in a female, even if it wasn't one of his own kind.

Even now as she stood before him with tears streaming down her face he

knew it wasn't because she was scared - not woman scared. It was because

she was about to betray her people; Her home. He had a hunch that her

man was Federation and that made it all the more sweeter. It meant that

he would sacrifice himself for her.

He was going to enjoy watching their reunion when it finally happened.

Tbc...


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter thirty one

Will deliberately looked away, pretending that he was searching the far

off hills as his friend coughed as though he was trying to get a boulder

out from his throat. The same hills that Will initially started heading

for and then changed his mind, figuring that any enemy following him

would think the same thing; head for the hills, head for safety. So Will

didn't. He and his men turned tail making sure they left enough

evidence to indicate they were going towards the hills, but not enough

to indicate their true path. The found refuge in a small, rocky outcrop

smack bang in the middle of nowhere.

Lieutenant Tang coughed again the painful wheeze making Will grimace

with compassion and fear. The old man was dying, Will knew it and he

was certain that Tang was more than aware of it too.

When the painful gasps subsided briefly and he heard Tang spit out the

accumulation of dust and gunk that had worked its way into his system

as he'd sucked in breaths and Will allowed him a second of privacy as he

struggled to pretend that he wasn't as bad he feared.

"You okay, old friend. Need a drink?" Will was already reaching for the

small pouch that held barely a quarter of a litre of precious water, his

hand stilling at Tang's gruff, weary voice.

"No, no, save it. Don't go wasting it on me, Son."

Will ignored him, detaching it from his waistband and releasing the

cap wishing more than anything that he could raise it to his own lips

and drain it dry, but he couldn't. He was okay, he could survive without

water long enough to get rescued. His friend wouldn't.

The extensive burns he had meant that his skin couldn't hold any

moisture apart from the massive blisters that caked his body, and Will

hoped and prayed that none of them burst or got infected. God only knew

what the dust and dirt on this ball of rock held.

Tang's eyes met Will's as he turned to him and lifted his head and

shoulders from the ground holding the pouch's lip-edge to his own

charred mouth. Weary gratitude shone in his exhausted, pain-filled eyes

and despite his own rule about leaving the dead and dying behind, Tang

was glad he was being given a chance to live.

He caught the slight smile that touched Will's mouth as he gratefully

sipped the temperate water determined to take as little as he could

until at last, he felt the liquid slide down his burning throat. He

purposely closed his lips to stop Will from wasting any more. He'd had

enough and if they were going to have to see out the night _- If -_ he saw

out the night, he emended, he was surely going to need more in the

morning. At least now in the inkiness of night, the searing heat wasn't

an issue. But come morning...well, that was a different story and he

wasn't looking forward to it, one bit.

Will heard the men urgently whispering in the background and carefully

laying Tang's head back down he moved over to find out what they were

talking about. Scuffling the few feet towards them he stopped dead when

he saw Bobby Tiller raise his palm to him, indicating that he should be

silent. Will stayed still, his ears searching out anything audible, his

eyes reaching out into the darkness, looking for something, or someone.

Silence, total silence. Will turned questioning eyes to his comrades

who were still listening intently. Tiller's hand turned and indicated

that Will should proceed, and as quietly as he could, Will moved closer.

"What is it?" he whispered quietly.

"I thought I heard something, but it's gone now." he whispered back,

the white of his eyes almost luminous as they caught the moonlight.

"Wait! There it is again!"

Instinctively, the three men quietly lay flat upon the hard, cold

ground trying to make themselves blend into shadows, their ears

desperately trying to pick up any indication as to whether their enemy

was as close as they feared. Worriedly, Will glanced over to his friend

checking that he was sufficiently out of sight from enemy eyes whilst

his own heartbeat began to pound, echoing in his ears.

But he couldn't hear a thing. Nothing. Zilch, and that worried Will

even more so. Did that mean the enemy could hear them and were taking

similar precautions? Or, was it their own minds playing tricks on them?

Celestial spirits sent to torment their minds. God, he hated sitting

like a possum, waiting. Praying. They were stuck between a rock and a

hard place and whoever was on the other side of the rise knew it too.

And then they heard the distinct sound of a phaser being loaded, the

tell-tale whine of the button being pushed along and elevating the beams

intensity from stun to kill and as Will prepared to be confronted he was more

than aware that they were likely to be out-numbered. They definitely had

more fire power than he and his men possessed and his eyes squeezed shut as one

vision filled his senses and two words slipped despairingly from his

trembling lips.

_Goodbye, Imzadi_.

Tbc...


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter thirty two

"Fill me in, Captain. I want to know everything - and I mean everything."

Leaving a more than competent pilot to fly them home, Captain Bill Traverse sat opposite the visibly exhausted man, but even so, he was never happier to see anyone alive as much as he. He studied Will's face as much as he could through the grime and dried blood that caked his skin, but even though exhaustion poured from his being nothing could defuse the steely regard in his cobalt eyes. The man wanted to know what was happening with the Sindareen, and he wanted to know now.

Only Bill wasn't too keen on telling him - not all of it, anyway.

"The Sindareen attacked Betazed, Sir." Shock still tinged his words as he looked Will straight in the eye, holding his gaze steady as Will digested the news and inwardly startled that he didn't seem surprised to hear his bad tidings. When Bill was confident that the crummy news had registered, he ploughed on. "We think they deliberately set us up in order to get some of us away from the city."

Will's face creased in puzzlement, "Why? What on earth were they trying to achieve? We left behind more than enough military to protect Betazed. They couldn't have got through." But even as he said it Will realised that it sounded stupid. Of course they could get through. Nothing was impenetrable, least of all a docile citizen that wouldn't recognize a bad guy if he come and slapped him across the face.

But Will continued to study the Captain's face and instinctively knew that his assumption was wrong, and worse than that, there was more to hear as the fearful look upon Traverse's face told him that. He swallowed noisily before adding, "Carry on."

"They took hostages, Sir." he said warily, half expecting the giant man to leap up and punch him for allowing it all to happen; for not doing their job properly. For not protecting those that had come to serve.

And then Will knew; knew that his beloved was one of those captured. Somehow things that had flashed through his mind; The screams, the cold hand of death gripping his heart as he lay waiting to be picked up. It all made sense to him now. "Deanna." He murmured distractedly, the same cold hand tightening its grip on his heart again, hurting him, reminding him that there was more at stake here than the woman he loved, his eyes widening with the horror that his instinct, his feelings had been correct. "Deanna's been taken, hasn't she?"

Will reeled back as he watched Captain Traverse slowly shake his head, his eyes dropping away as he tried to mask his horror and dispel the image at what he'd witnessed. "No, Sir," he said slowly, sadly, "Miss Troi is dead. I'm sorry, Si..."

He started as Will leapt to a stand, instantly filling the ships small confines already greatly reduced because of Tang's prone body on the cot laying between them all, the shock of Bill's news not only slamming him in the midriff, but emitting a similar gasp of shock from the other members of Will's remaining team. Traverse cowered back as Will reached down and grasped the front of his tunic and forcibly lifting him off his seat. "No! no, she's not! Deanna isn't dead, I'd know. I'd feel it, up here," letting Bill go with one hand so that he could tap his temple, accentuating his point, "I'd know if she was dead, and she isn't."

He felt a tug on his pant leg and with wild eyes he turned his attention downwards, to Tang's damaged face, to the man that knew that what he was saying was true, but even so, he felt he had to say something, prepare him, question his senses, knowing that the mind was a powerful machine that could will anything that you wanted to see. "Will, it was hours ago that you said you'd heard Deanna. She might be dead by now. Accept that it may be true, Son"

Freeing Traverse's clothing, absently brushing the clothing down as he turned to his fallen friend, Will shook his head, denial wreathed his features, "No, I'd know, Tang, I'd know" he swore with such conviction that Tang nodded wearily, completely accepting affirmation for what it was, his eyes slipping closed once more as he continued with his painful struggle to stay alive.

He'd welcomed the pain medication with a mixture of relief and dismay. More than aware that now they'd been rescued he was effectively out of the game and that he'd be shipped straight off to a med-unit as soon as they touched base that his war was over. Hell, his career might be over and that wasn't even worth contemplating. He'd been a Starfleet officer all his adult life, and he'd been so close - so close to being pensioned off that his health had begun to suffer with the knowledge of being, 'set free'. He didn't want it. Hell, what was he gonna do, out there in the real world. Sit and read a book? Go fishing!?

Hell, no!

But it didn't look like he was going to have any other choice now. Damn it! So lost in his drug-infused meanderings he didn't quite catch most of Traverse's next words, but he sure as hell caught the tail end of them.

"...I saw her myself, Sir. I...I remember the jumper that she used to wear when she worked at the base, it was a pretty kind of yellow." He swallowed, turning paler as he plucked up courage to continue. "I...She...wasn't recognizable, Sir, she'd lost her..." He couldn't continue. He didn't have to, the picture he'd painted was more than enough. Too much.

Numbly Will shook his head, not only denying his head to fill with the image that tried to overtake his mind, but also wanting to dismiss the information that he was hearing. He could only reiterate his previous confident reply. "She's still alive, Bill. Trust me." he pleaded quietly. Bill could only nod. What more could he do? He hoped with all his being that the tall man was right.

Turning his gaze out of the ship's front screen, Will watched as they approached Betazed. One could not fail to see the numerous dark plumes of smoke that rose from the still smouldering buildings, the air of chaos blanketing it like a heavy, dark shroud, and as the ship landed back at the base Will was already hovering impatiently for the door to open, and as soon as it did, he leapt free as soon as he could safely do so. Will set off towards the worst hit part of the city, his feet barely touching the ground as he raced on, his heart pounding in his chest, preparing him for what he was about to see.

Even though Will was confident that he wasn't going to find his Deanna amongst the dead that would surely be laying in the make-shift morgue by now, an ounce of him - one tiny ounce of him wondered if he'd gotten it wrong - that the intense love he felt for her was over-shadowing the truth.

Will was sure that he'd heard her, seen her in his dreams and held her silently in his embrace. She was scared senseless, but she was okay, he could feel her. And somehow, he knew then even more so that her life was connected to his. That they were bonded by a force that he wasn't sure he'd ever come to grips with. He rolled the word through his mind again, unconsciously reaching out for her, _Imzadi_ Testing its power, hoping above all hopes that she was out there, alive, waiting for him.

He almost slipped to the ground as he felt the feint ripple of her voice, and her fear trickle through his frazzled mind.

_Help us. Oh, God, Imzadi, help us! _

Tbc...


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter thirty three

Will's feet slowed to an unsteady stop as he neared the still

smouldering college building and the shock of what his eyes were seeing

slowing his steps as he slowly took in the carnage that spread out

in front of him. Medical teams worked on people that had been dug out of the

collapsed entrance way and the flurry of military personnel, some of which

Will knew, battled to stop relatives, friends and everyone else from

entering the precarious building in a desperate attempt to find their

missing loved ones as their cries and pleas swirled around Will's heart,

gripping it even tighter, the pain becoming unbearable.

Unable to resist the pull and forcing his feet to move, Will hesitantly

made his way off to the side where a dozen or so corpses lay in a row,

their bodies covered with make-shift sheeting. Blood stained the stark

whiteness of the material a bright and vivid red and the black soot a stark

contrast amongst it like a gruesome abstract painting.

Even though Will knew he wasn't searching for Deanna, he still found

himself looking for a glimpse of the yellow jumper that Bill Traverse

had mentioned on his way back to the planet. He had to see it for

himself despite everything. He just had to make sure it really wasn't

her. When he saw the Zerx's holding each other as they stood over a

prone corpse Will inadvertently sighed with sad relief before letting

his genuine sorrow come to the fore once more.

Several people, relations of the deceased Will guessed, stood beside

those that lay on the ground, their grief pouring from their hunched,

miserable figures and disbelief mingled the piteous whimpers as they tried

desperately to comprehend the senseless waste of precious life. And with

it Will felt an immense wave of shame wash over him. He had failed these

people. He had let down his guard, believed that he was in control and

let these people put their utmost trust in him, and he had let them down.

He couldn't help the roll of despair that drenched right through to his

soul as his moist eyes moved away from his failures, the action

releasing a solitary tear. He didn't bother wiping it away letting the

blurriness somehow distort the carnage around him. His gaze came to

settle and refocus on a solitary figure standing back from the other

mourners, her head bowed low, her dress sombre, like the mood that

shrouded the scene.

Will quietly moved, coming to a silent stand behind her. He didn't know

what to say so instead he lifted his hand and rested in gently upon her

shoulder. Within seconds her hand came to settle upon his and he felt,

and heard, a deep, shaky breath leave her lips.

For a long moment the two of them did nothing but watch as yet another

body was carried out of the smouldering building, the victim being laid

alongside the last in the row of those already there. Despite the

sheeting covering the body, it could not hide the woman beneath. A bulge

in her abdomen area brought a gasp of shock from Will's lips as he

realised that the poor soul had been with child.

"Oh, my God," Will gasped, instantly feeling Lwaxana's fingers lace

with his in a futile effort to help him through the shock of what his

eyes were seeing, and what his mind was screaming at him. "What have I

done?"

Lwaxana Troi watched the movements before her unable to look away,

unable to turn and embrace the man behind her as his guilt filled her

senses. "It wasn't your fault, William," she whispered, squeezing his

fingers harder. "None of this was your fault. It was mine."

Everything stopped, just for a moment as Will absorbed her misplaced

blame which were preposterous - stupid even. How could she take the

blame for this war? How could she possibly have stopped it? Betazed had

called on the Federation for their help, and they had sent him_. HIM_ He

was the one that should have seen this coming; seen the deception, but

he hadn't and innocent people had died. Innocent people had been

kidnapped. Deanna_, His Imzadi_, had been kidnapped.

"What could you have possibly done, Mrs. Troi?" He asked. "This was not

your fault." Will told her quietly.

She squeezed his fingers again and finally, slowly turned to him, and

he saw the shadow of a sad smile upon her tear-stained face. "And nor

was it yours, Lieutenant Riker. But, I could have done more." She

hesitated for a brief second and her brow furrowed with the thoughts as they

raced through her mind, "I should have done more." she reiterated.

Will studied her features intently, ignoring the blood shot eyes and

the added lines that seemed to have sprung up over-night with worry.

"What could you have possibly done that I hadn't?"

"You forget, William, that I am an ambassador. I not only have friends

in high places, I have friends elsewhere in this cosmos." Spinning on

her heels she started to walk away from him and Will instinctively

followed her dimly aware that something she had just said had sparked a

flame of hope within her, therefore reigniting his too.

She continued, "We need help, Mr. Riker, and I am intent on getting it.

It's time I used my status, and my charm to its full advantage, and you,

Will, are going to help me. Come along."

Will hastened his footsteps to keep up with hers that were almost at a

run now that she had made a decision, and he couldn't help asking her

the obvious, "What about Deanna, Mrs. Troi, and the other captives?"

Without missing a beat, or even a step she said, "That'll be your job.

I'm entrusting my daughter into your hands so you'd better make sure

you bring her home to me, preferably alive and in one piece." She added

just for good measure.

Will balked at her words, "Mrs. Troi! I don't think..."

"Save it, William. I know you can communicate with her, and you have,

haven't you, since she's been gone?" She looked at him briefly for

confirmation as he nodded even though she didn't really need to see his

face to know his answer. "Deanna will lead you to her."

Will couldn't help asking, "Have...Have you 'spoken' to her, Mrs. Troi?"

Will winced under her indignant stare, "Of course I have, silly boy! I

_am_ her mother." Her eyes softened at Will's discomfort, slowing her

steps until she actually stopped and reached out a hand to touch his

arm. "She's alright, William. In danger, but alright, I promise."

Will nodded, his stance visibly relaxing a little with her reassurance.

But even he knew that there was still a long way to go and a lot to do

before he could see for himself. Before he could hold her in his arms

and never let her out of his sight again.

Will followed Lwaxana into the military base his curiosity peaked to

its height. "What are we doing here, Mrs. Troi?" Although he realized it

was the logical place to be, and the one place that he knew he should

have come to first, Will still couldn't understand why _she_ would come

here.

Not even bothering to knock on the door that they approached, which

Will recognized as the boardroom, a room that he'd only ever visited

once - on his arrival, the matriarch of Betazed's highest society pushed

open the door and barrelled in with Will close behind hot on her

heels as curiosity and excitement filled his being.

The seven stunned men within turned to see who had barged in on their

crisis talks, balking and then visibly shrinking when they saw who it

was. Without a greeting Lwaxana Troi made her way to the head of the

oval table, placed her hands upon the rich red mahogany top and stared

intently at each and every one of them, not giving them a chance or

daring them to utter one word.

"Gentlemen," she stated, her face alive with determination and hope.

"We have a war to win, and I know how we can win it."

Tbc...


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter thirty four

The air was alive with frenzied tension as the men once more prepared

to take to the skies. This time more ships and more men were joining them

to confront their enemy. This time though, they were sure there would be

no deception and no cowardly attacks on peaceful Betazed. The Sindareen

had gotten what they'd wanted; a full frontal, no holds barred battle out

in the vast ocean of space, and the Federation were going to give it to

them, head on.

Lwaxana Troi hovered outside Will's shuttle as he busied himself with

making sure everything and everyone he needed was on board, but even so,

he still spoke to her, realizing that despite the message from Deanna pleading

them to come and rescue them all Lwaxana, and himself, held the truth

within their heads.

Deanna's voice had shaken them all to the core as she relayed the very

much prompted message. No ransom. No trade. Just come and get them,

if they dared. Will shuddered as he remembered Mrs. Troi crumpling onto

the seat behind her as Deanna had spoken directly to her telling her silently

that the whole thing was a trap just barely seconds after the crackly

message was transferred to the boardroom.

But what else could they do? They had to go after them, both the Sindareen

and the hostages. There would be no stalemate in this battle. It was an

all out war, a war that had been a long time coming. A war that would

once and for all diminish the threat against the peaceful planet.

Betazed had no idea why the Sindareen had targeted them other than out of

sheer cussedness. That and a chance to wield their power upon a planet

of peace. They were more cowardly than those that they tormented. They

truly believed that they had the Federation in the palm of their grotty

hands. By picking them off fleet by fleet instead of raiding Earth was a

pathetic act of cowardice. Here, on their own turf they could destroy

the Federation one by one if they had to. On Earth it would be another

story.

Will stepped inside the shuttle and settled himself in to the pilot's

seat. He wasn't even mildly surprised when Lwaxana stepped inside after

him and plainly with more to say. He wasn't sure he wanted to hear

what she had to say, but courtesy and intrigue forced himself to take a

deep breath and wait. But even when she did touch his shoulder to garner

his full attention he still hadn't been surprised with her revelation.

"Listen to her, Will. Let Deanna guide you. Whatever happens out there,

let my daughter help you." She implored, filling him with hope and more,

realising that she was telling him that the silent communication that

Betazoid's were famed for, were going to be the key in the coming

confrontation, and to Deanna - his Deanna. He was going to be linked to her

beyond the physical level, beyond anything that he'd ever experienced

before, but he was ready for it now.

When he'd first heard Deanna in his mind, he'd been scared, scared of

what she might be seeing and hearing. But with each meeting, he grew more

comfortable, more adept and kinda honoured that he'd been blessed with

what he knew now to be a gift and he intended to use his gift to not only

get his Imzadi back, but to win this war.

He came back to the present with a quick shake of his senses and turned

his full gaze onto the woman hovering at his shoulder. Will nodded

solemnly towards her. "I will, Mrs. Troi, and I'll bring Deanna back to you, you

have my word." he vowed.

Lwaxana offered a sad smile as she nodded, tapping his shoulder to

reiterate her faith in him. "I know you will, William. I'm very proud of

you, you know? My daughter has chosen well."

Will didn't quite know how to respond to that as memories of her denial

to mate with him cascaded through him, despite her subsequent

acquiescence. Will still felt that given half a chance Deanna would do

anything to change what they had become. The thought gave Will a strange

feeling deep within him, one that hurt, a hurt that spiralled throughout

his body and soul making him tremble with its intensity.

Smiling tenderly, Lwaxana leaned down and put a tender kiss upon Will's

brow her heavy scent filling his nostrils, taking away the smell of

fear that filled the ship, even if it was just for a brief moment.

"Deanna loves you, Will." She said quietly. "Remember that and you will

come home. You'll both come home." she promised, her voice quivering

with emotion as a moment of loss rolled over her, a moment that didn't

belong with her promise to the man that looked up to her, his convulsive

throat movement revealing more than he wanted.

She'd said enough even though she wanted to say a whole lot more to

Him and as Lwaxana Troi made her way back out of the ship and Will watched her

go a new respect for her filled his senses. When she was clear of the

ship he pressed the button and closed the hatch, turned to his co-pilot

who slid into his seat beside him and took a deep shaky breath.

"Well, here we go. You ready, Bob?"

Bobby Tiller, more than happy to be back behind the controls so soon

after returning from their last harrowing trip out, had deliberately

made himself scarce when the matriarch of Betazoid's society followed

the lieutenant inside the ship, obviously needing some privacy going by

the sombre expressions upon their faces.

Moving back into place and touching several of the multi-coloured

controls before him, Bob beamed at his leader, hoping that he didn't

notice that the smile that he put upon his face didn't quite reach his

eyes, nor notice the trickle of apprehension touch his affirmation. "You

bet, Sir. Let's go and kick some Sindareen butt!"

Nodding, the motion fired his eyes and his heart with steely

determination as he fired up the engines and lay in his course. "Best

damned idea I've heard all day. Now let's go and get my girl."

Tbc...


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter thirty five

Shut away again, out of sight and out of mind in the dark and dank

hold Deanna and her fellow captives felt the shift in tensions escalate

throughout the ship - not only through themselves but her captors too.

The fear reverberated from person to person as the arrival of the ships

signalled the next stage in this deadly war game and the men still

able to stand moved gingerly to their feet in anxious expectation.

_They were here. _

The Federation had ignored her silent advice and had come anyway. One

part of her, the part that hurt, told her that they truly did not have a

choice _but_ to come. The other part, the part the hurt even more, hoped

with all her heart that they would sacrifice those few and save the many.

But what hurt most of all, was knowing the man that she had fallen

hopelessly in love with would have come despite

everything. She couldn't stop the shudder that rippled through her body,

not only for the battle that was sure to come, but because, at last, at

long last, if they got through this, if they made it home, Deanna was a

only heartbeat away from seeing Will again. But the even greater reason

was because any moment now she might lose her Imzadi forever.

Her thoughts and movements betrayed her and Jeb shifted his own thoughts

from elsewhere to his charge. He had to reassure her, to help her

through this next trial. "We'll be fine."_He'll _be fine," Jeb emended,

realizing that her own thoughts were focused on one man as he held her

closer still and tried to absorb the trembles that racked her slender

frame. His quiet voice strong with conviction as he studied Deanna's

shadowed features as she sat tucked close beside him.

Deanna marvelled at the man holding her. In spite of the incredible

pain he was suffering from his ankle injury Jeb still managed to hold

it together enough to offer her comfort. She so needed him beside her

through this; to replace the one person that she could not have in his

place. Deanna could only turn in his arms and coil her arms around his

neck in gratitude.

Momentarily startled and surprised at the innocent affection that

Deanna was showering upon him, Jeb Murser recoiled a fraction until he

felt her need and then his fatherly instincts kicked in and he held her

in return and gently rubbed away the chilling shudders that still rippled

throughout her slim body.

He knew what was troubling her, despite the obvious. The war was about

to begin in earnest and they were either going to live or they were

going to die. For some of them that had no one to care for, including

himself, death was just another step into another dimension. For others,

like Deanna, death would be another path, a path of loneliness, and

loss and infinitely more. But it didn't start in the afterlife. It

started here; right now and Deanna was already beginning to feel that

loss even though he knew as well as she did that her beloved was still

very much alive.

Jeb could only offer her his comfort and Deanna seemed to be

content with that. His ankle hurt worse that hell itself and he tried

valiantly not to move the shattered limb. As Deanna had turned in his

arms he felt the hot shard of pain shoot through his entire body and it

was as much as he could take to stop the moan from leaving his mouth.

He shifted a fraction to alleviate the pressure, but the woman in his

embrace seemed oblivious to his dilemma.

And then he realized that along with her sudden stillness she was

deathly quiet, the shudders finally ceasing along with everything else,

bar the thrum of the ship surrounding them. She was communicating with

someone and Jeb had no doubt that it was their saviour, Lieutenant

William Riker.

_He hoped. Oh, God, how he hoped_.

Tbc...


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter thirty six

The Sindareen pilot winced as he felt his Captain's fingertips dig into

his shoulder as they all stared out of the screen ahead at the arriving

Federation fleet, the morbid fascination at facing their enemy head on

brought an evil grin of satisfaction to his leaders face. He knew this

because he heard the familiar grunt of devilish glee leave his mouth,

and, of course, the excited pressure of his thick, strong fingers. Both

of which he reluctantly ignored for fear of retribution.

Maror barely turned his head to the man behind him, his eyes never

leaving the screen as he snarled, "Bring me the girl." The silent

rush of anticipation swept through the bridge crew as the imminent

confrontation was at last, about to happen. Some welcomed it and some

did not. The man beneath his leader's fingers was one of the latter. Of

all the bridge crew, he was the one that had something to live for; a

family and a home, and a life back on Sindar.

Without uttering a word the man spun on his heels and ducked beneath

the doorway and disappeared beyond only to return barely a minute later

with the requested woman gripped tightly in his hands. Letting her go as

she stepped through the bridge doorway, Deanna gently massaged the now

bruised area of upper arm that still stung from the harsh grip. But the

pain was all but forgotten as her eyes fixed upon the same scene

that the entire compliment on the bridge watched, too.

Federation ships. A whole fleet of Federation ships, and Deanna felt

her heart sink to her toes. _God, how many were there_? She asked herself and

mentally beginning to count the silver shapes that sat suspended beyond

the screen waiting.

Thirty two. Deanna got to thirty two before Maror's bitter and twisted

voice broke her concentration. "Hail the lead ship," he ordered her. "I

want them to see you before I kill them all."

Deanna's shock left her mouth in a gurgled gasp as she recoiled against

the anger and hatred that fuelled his promise. "I won't do it! I won't

tell them anything you want me to repeat, damn you!" as she unwittingly

came to stand barely two feet away from the only man that she would ever

hate with every ounce of her heart, an emotion that as a Betazoid she so

rarely felt. So rare that she physically felt the bile rise as she let

the horror of his promise fill her being.

Maror spun on his heels so fast that Deanna stumbled back stepping

straight up against the Sindareen that had brought her in and he

instinctively held her upper arms in his tight grip to face whatever

Maror figured to be her punishment for speaking to him in that manner.

But Deanna was beyond being frightened for herself. She cared about one

thing and one thing only; Life. Not her life, but Will's, Jeb's,

all of Betazed, her home, her family and strangely, she even cared about

the Federation realizing in that fraction of a moment, that was

where her future life lay if she survived this.

She did _not_ care about the scum that stood before her with possibly

the nastiest, vilest smirk upon his face that she had ever seen.

"You will pay for that, Bitch!" he sneered, leaning so close to her

that Deanna felt his stale breath upon her cheeks. His fist clenched

tight in anger, was raised high as though he was going to hit her, hard.

But Deanna refused to flinch or cower beneath his evil stare-down as

she waited for the inevitable. For a very long moment everything was

suspended; everything stopped as they waited for his fist to make its

mark.

But then a spark of something flared in his devilish eyes and without

turning he growled to his helmsman. "Hail the ship. I want them to see

this."

Deanna's legs went weak when she realized his intention and she would

have fallen but for the steely grip still upon her upper arms. Her eyes

left Maror's face and looked over his shoulder to the screen. Barely a

moment later a face that she never thought she would see again filled

the space and Deanna released the choked sob that she didn't realize

she had been holding. _Oh, my God. Will_! she silently cried, shaking

her head as she tried to deny the vision she was seeing.

She watched as Will, shocked beyond belief at what he was witnessing,

rose up from his seat. And she watched as silent angry, desperate,

pleading words poured from his mouth, unheard because the comm system

had been viciously turned off. And they watched, Maror slowly turned

back to her, rose his fist and brought it down upon her upturned and

petrified face.

Will's silent scream roared through her head as her face exploded with

a million different splintering shards of pain with the force of his

bare-knuckled punch, and then a blackness stole over her mind. This time

when her legs gave way the man holding her let her go and Deanna

slid to the floor into a grateful unconsciousness.

Stunned, disbelieving silence saturated not only the Sindareen bridge

but every Federation ship that witnessed the barbaric act. Will was

beside himself as he watched with tears streaming from his eyes as his

beloved - his Imzadi, slid to the floor under the force of his fist,

unable to tear his eyes away from the pitiful, crumpled figure that lay

upon the steel floor of the Sindareen ship.

_Deanna. Oh, God, my poor Deanna!_ he silently cried.

After along moment Maror's voice impinged on Will's brain and he tore

his eyes away from Deanna and stared instead at the piece of scum that

stood grinning at him. "You going to come and get your woman, Federation

man? He sneered, "Or shall I keep her for myself? She's a feisty young

thing but I think I can handle her." He suddenly laughed as though he'd

just had an amusing thought., "I think she might even like it after

a while."

Raucous laughter trickled throughout the Sindareen bridge crew and

even Will, his initial shock wearing off to deal with the matter at

hand suddenly realized that the ball game had changed.

They had come here with war in mind, but had hoped that with a

united show of Federation craft, that maybe, just maybe, the Sindareen

would back down. But not now, not after seeing what the Sindareen raider

had done to Deanna because Will had no intention of letting him live now, and if

it meant wiping out the entire Sindareen race just to get at him, then

so be it.

Taking a deep, shuddering breath, Will's face split into a grin laced

with an equal amount of malice, his voice, now free of the choking tears

that he had already spilt as he'd watched him hit Deanna, spat, "Over

my dead body, you bastard."

Maror laughed, "That's the plan. You want her?" he asked maliciously,

"Then come and get her." he dared.

But before Will could utter another word Bobby Tiller suddenly said

with absolute terror in his voice, "Enemy force coming in, Sir.

It's...it's the Klingon's."

Sucking in a shaky breath, Will's fingers gripped the back of Tiller's

seat and his finger tips turned white with tension. "What the...? Where?"

he barked.

The air in the ship disappeared with their breath as he answered,

glancing up into Will's deathly pale face. "Behind the Sindareen force,

Sir."

Will began to tremble. It was one thing to go into war with the

Sindareen but it was entirely a different matter to fight against the

Sindareen AND possibly the nastiest, most vicious race known to the

Federation and the rest of the civilized worlds. He only had one choice.

"Prepare to retreat." he said, the fight quickly leaving him as his heart

suddenly froze with the only choice he had left to him.

Bobby Tiller's fingers stilled as his leader's words sunk in and he

turned his stunned eyes to Will's. "Sir?" he asked with surprise.

"What about...?"

Will cut him off, unable to hear him utter Deanna's name as he prepared

to let her go and the others too, but this time for good. "They've won," he

said sadly. "We can't fight them both." Slipping back into his seat he

punched the control panel before him, ignoring the frantic buzz of

activity upon the Sindareen ship. "Spread the word. We're returning to

Betazed."

And with one last long sorrowful look at the woman he loved still lying

unconscious on the cold metallic floor, his

heart breaking with his decision, Will silently whispered ,

_Goodbye, Imzadi_

_Tbc..._


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter thirty seven

_Don't go, Will, don't go! They're on our side. They're here to help_

_us_

As Will and Bobby Tiller prepared to turn the ship and the entire fleet

around, a voice filtered through the fog of anguish that lashed at Will

from all sides, his very soul torn in two at what he believed he had to

do to save everything and everybody, except the one person who meant

more than all of them put together, Deanna; his love; his Imzadi.

_Don't go, please!_

There was no mistaking it this time. It was Deanna whispering through

his senses like a tidal wave of welcoming water leaving him trembling

with relief at hearing her soft, melodic voice before making his heart

soar for a moment just knowing that she was alive and lucid. Even

though he had all but turned away to leave her to die, she hadn't blamed

him. She hadn't spurned his torn heart.

But surely Will hadn't heard her right. He couldn't have. The Klingon's,

on their side? Never, not in a million years. The Federation had been

locked in battle with the Klingon Empire ever since the very beginning.

The Klingon's were the very reason that the Federation came to be.

And then another voice sifted through his befuddled mind. _Believe her,_

_Will. Do not turn back. Stand your ground. I haven't gone to all this_

_trouble for nothing, so don't let me down, Lieutenant._

Lwaxana Troi? How in hell's name did she manage to send him a message

all the way from Betazed? He wondered with astonishment.

He swiftly got his answer._ Silly man. Did you really think I would_

_stay behind and miss all this fun? _Laughter alighting her tease at his

confusion.

Slowly, very slowly like the sun rising above the horizon, his

surprise only managed to rise a touch before anger tinged his joy and

Will felt the blood begin to boil within his body. So she thought this

was a joke. The entire universe was about to go to war and she thought

it was funny!

But even so, he found himself saying something he'd never thought he'd

utter to the man beside him who sat patiently, waiting for his order to

move off, his voice tipped with a longing that he thought had died. He

may not have been particularly enamoured towards Mrs. Troi, particularly

when it concerned her daughter, but never-the-less, there were some

things that she was good at and negotiating was one of them.

"Hold on, Bob, it seems like we've got God on our side today."

Bobby Tiller visibly balked. "What!?" he choked, his fingers pausing

midway to the reverse button.

Will's eyes caught his, amusement brightening up the once troubled blue

orbs into pools of mischief, "Sorry, I meant to say Lwaxana Troi, but

sometimes I do wonder." he smirked.

_I heard that, Mr. Riker _

And then it all went wrong as shouts reverberated throughout the comm

systems on board the Federation ships. Deanna's scream sent a shockwave

of alarm through each and every one who heard her.

_God, Will, he's going to kill you all! Don't let him do that to you_

_just because of us, please_!

But it was her mother that hushed her terrified daughter, her harsh

words splashing on her fear and instantly defusing the terrors that ran

amok in her heart. _Oh, shush, Little one, you don't think I turned up_

_with just my friend Martok, do you? How little you know me, daughter,_

_dear. What do you think I do when I put my best ambassador hat on. Sit_

_knitting booties for that grandchild that you will one day undoubtedly_

_give me between the two of you?_

Her high pitched laughter rattled right through Will's head and he

wondered in that brief instant if the woman had gone insane once the

flare of longing of her vivid imagination zipped through him. Lwaxana

Troi certainly had the knack of punching him just where she knew it

would hurt him most, and just because her fantasy was one that was

tucked away within his own private hopes and dreams didn't make it any

easier. The woman was a witch.

Too late, she'd caught him out again, but this time, instead of

answering him silently, her voice came over the comm unit loud and

clear and creating a wave of stunned disbelief hearing her speak. "I am

NOT a witch, nor am I insane!" she said haughtily. "If you'd care to

move your eyes to your long range scanners, Lieutenant, you'll find

we're about to have a few more visitors."

Both Will, Bobby and the rest of the waiting Federation ships

pulled their eyes away from the growing carpet of ships ahead and

automatically dropped their eyes to the instrument panels before them

and watched in shocked awe as a flotilla of ships, still some way off,

approached from behind. Will heard Bobby swallow noisily and when

he recognized just what was heading their way, he could only do the same.

"Vulcan's!?" They chorused together.

"Oh, yes_,"_ Mrs Troi crowed, "The Vulcan's are very good friends of mine

and were more than happy to lend a helping hand." And then she dropped

the bombshell."Of course, I had to offer them an alliance with the

Federation..." She said, matter-of-factly, not even wincing at the

somewhat expected outburst that almost shattered her eardrums.

"What!?" Bellowed Will. "You've done what!?"

Exhaling dramatically, she repeated her news." I promised them an

alliance with the Federation. And the Klingons too. " She added for good

measure."They're really friendly when you get to know them, you know? I

did toy briefly with asking the Cardassian's, but I'm really not fond of

them. To Neanderthal and barbaric for my liking."

One could imagine the grimace of distaste that etched her classical

features with her enlightening insight into the Cardassian race. One

also wondered why she didn't include the Klingon's in the same vein,

after all. they practically _were_ Neanderthal.

For a brief moment Will thought that he was going to feint. God, what

on earth was Starfleet going to say? The Cardassians!? The Vulcans!? The

KLINGONS!? Will groaned, his eyes closing to try and shut out the

scenario that was sure to come about when he got back home to face his

superiors. He was destroyed for good. His life as an aspiring Starfleet

officer was over; finished, annihilated by a meddling, mad woman. He'd

never live it down. Never.

But even so, despite all her interfering, and once the momentary shock

Subsided, Will was quick to realize that with the Vulcan's and the

Klingon's on their side, they at least now had a chance. They could show

a united force and beat the Sindareen just by the show of numbers.

Squaring his shoulders, Will stared determinedly at the screen before

him, took a deep breath and said to Bob, "Hail the Sindareen ship. The

negotiations are over. It's time to get our people back."

Bobby grinned, his voice lifting with glee. "Aye aye, Sir."

Tbc...


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter thirty eight

It was over. It was done. The Sindareen now faced with three massive

fleets against them had had no option but to allow their hostages to be

transported back to their own kind and then have to face the indignity

of being escorted out of Federation space with their tails tucked

firmly between their legs, lucky to have escaped with only a severe

warning, this time.

Lieutenant William Riker and the rest of his command returned back to

Betazed coming to land with, it seemed, a welcome fit only for royalty.

As soon as the ships touched down a massive swarm of people descended

upon them as they stepped out of the shuttlecraft hatches, each and every one of the

Betazed people either wanting to vigorously shake their hands with

gratitude, their tearful words unable to convey their feelings or, kiss

them to death sweeping them into their embrace and silently saying much,

more than words ever could.

Taller than most Will could only soak up their indebtedness, reddening

right down to his toes for, what he considered, to be simply doing his

job. As he began to search out with a mixture of fevered urgency and

longing above the tops of the heads of the very people he had helped to

save, he tried to spot the only person that he wanted to see right then.

It seemed to be an age of tortured waiting, of thumping heart and

dreaded fear at what the Sindareen had put her through until, finally,

he saw her.

Will spotted the wild mane of ebony hair and even before physically

seeing her he'd felt her presence, allowed it to quench his soul's

thirst knowing that her face was almost within his field of vision. She was almost

there with him. Among the frenzied hustle and bustle of disembarkation,

along with the band of security people forcing themselves through the fray

holding a makeshift stretcher, Will reached out to her with an invisible

touch of comfort and without seeing her with his own eyes, Will

captured her relief and worry as she clung to the hand of the

stretcher's occupant as she walked along side it and let her be.

Will swallowed his disappointment along with the minuscule flare of

mistrust that whoever she was escorting and who clearly needed her more than

he did. He didn't care about that, having thrown his entire quota of trust

at this one woman, he trusted her implicitly so jealousy didn't even

enter his mind other than that of his own selfishness to have her

holding onto him. He needed her, just for a moment, just for a second,

just to satisfy his heart, his soul, that she was back and she was safe.

_Just one second_.

_Just one second. Look at me, Imzadi. See me,_ he pleaded silently.

As his eyes followed her his breath caught, the silent pleading for

Deanna to stop finally filtered through the chaos that surrounded her

and her feet slowly came to a halt. In slow motion she turned and her

eyes found his across the colourful forest of heads but was unable to anything

more than look and feel and Deanna simply soaked up the very sight of him,

felt the warmth of his love flow into her frozen and hurting body and

it heated her heart. Her huge eyes swam with tears in her pale and dirty

face as fatigue, sorrow and fear poured from her soul. Will felt each

emotion batter her mind as she battled against falling apart before him.

And then she was gone, cocooned within a blanket that suddenly appeared

upon her shoulders and then led away with the other rescued hostages.

Will's heart ached as he realized that he was going to have to wait

a while before he could get to see Deanna again and wipe away the

terrors that he knew from experience would come and claim her later,

and he hoped, above all else, that he would be there to help her through.

Tbc...


	39. Chapter 39

Chapter thirty nine

Later, after giving his somewhat lengthy and totally bizarre report to

his superiors, Will made his way back to his quarters and took a very long

and therapeutic shower. Then he donned his favourite navy pants and

comfortable soft sky-blue sweat-top while being acutely aware that the colour

matched his eyes that were now alive with excitement. He was going to see

Deanna.

Winding his way to the Troi mansion with a noticeable bounce in his

step he arrived barely fifteen minutes later and hopped up onto the

porch step with a lightness that came with the taste of freedom and, he

realized now much more, but when he came to a stop before the massive door

he found himself overcome with a sense of déjà vu again and he felt the

sunlight fade from his dreams.

How many more times was he going to find himself here - right here,

feeling foolish, nervous, and extremely wary? Feelings he'd experienced

only because of Deanna's mother. He couldn't even describe how he felt about

seeing Deanna's face once more. The nearest he'd gotten to verbalising

it with a word, was love. He loved her face, her body. Her voice, and

the weirdest of all, was her mind.

How could he love a mind? He wondered, the amusing thought created a

chuckle and catapulted him back up into the sunlight again the goofy

smile reappearing upon his face once more and the movement managed to

chase away the doubts that momentarily clouded his mind.

As he raised his knuckle and knocked he decided he didn't care anymore.

He was past caring. He loved Deanna, and she loved him. They were Imzadi.

He stepped back and waited. Slipping his nervous hands behind his back with

his fingers linking to hide the tremors Will suddenly became overcome

with something that he didn't want to feel. It hit him so quickly that

he staggered backwards, the force moving his feet down onto a lower

step. Negativity swamped his senses as an avalanche of fear swept

through his befuddled mind, and gasping for breath, Will struggled up

through the invading darkness to keep himself focused. To keep Deanna

with him.

He wasn't going to lose her, not now. Not after all that had happened.

Not after his goofy moment of mushiness. He needed it back. He needed

his soul in happy mode to get him through the coming hours because he

had a hunch; a trickling down his spine, that even though he wanted

to howl from the rooftops with happiness, the woman the other side of

the door was not going to be in the same frame of mind.

And as soon as the sour thought invaded his head, Will felt it again;

fear. Deep, mind-blowing fear and Will didn't know why the emotion

saturated his entire being from head right through to his soul.

At last he heard footsteps approaching on the other side of the solid door. A

moment later the handle turned and he found himself staring up into

Lwaxana's face again. He tried to gauge her mood and failed. As much as she

was a master of negotiating, she was also a dab hand at hiding her

feelings from those she didn't wish to reveal them to. And Will knew,

that he was one of them.

"Hello, William. Please, come in." she said, her voice level, without a

hint of welcoming.

But Will stayed where he was, his feet refusing to take the step that

would bring him closer to news that he didn't want to hear. He'd rather

hear it there, on the doorstep so that he could turn and walk away

without too much fuss.

His heart began to pound in his chest and he felt himself begin to go

cold with dread. But even so, he managed to keep his voice even as he

spoke, his eyes holding hers as he reached out for truth. "Deanna

doesn't want to see me, does she?"

It was then that Lwaxana sighed and let her true feelings show, just in

the one tiny movement of her eyes, the even tinier shake of her head.

"I'm sorry, she doesn't want to see anyone right now." she said quietly

and apologetically.

But Will didn't buy it, not for a minute. "No, Mrs. Troi." he muttered

with clenched teeth. "Deanna doesn't want to see _me_ and I'd like to

know why, please?" anxiety slipping into sizzling annoyance.

"I can't tell you that, William. Maybe it would be best if you left her

alone just for today. She has had a very traumatic time." The excuse

sounded lame even to Lwaxana's ears, but to Will, it sounded pathetic

and he wasn't accepting it. He figured it was time to make a stand. He

had reached the end of his very tight tether and only one person could

defuse the ticking time-bomb inside of him. Will desperately needed to

be close to the one person that would make him feel human again. Whole.

Wanted.

Before he'd even taken a step to enter the door, Lwaxana had second-

guessed his motive and moved to stand in his way her dainty palm

rising to stop his entrance. "Now, William, you cannot come in here and

upset my daughter further. I know you, and I know what you are capable

of." But even as she said it with as much bravado that she could muster,

she realized that the man before her was coming in, one way or the other.

And he did. His eyes turned glassy blue as he boldly stepped up to the

hand that still sat suspended in mid air in a futile attempt to halt the

giant man's approach. Will moved close enough to allow it to rest

lightly upon his massive chest, and then with a determined grin inching

across his face, he simply raised his hands to her arms, plunked one very

sound kiss upon her startled lips and gently moved her aside and there

wasn't an ounce of resistance from the stunned woman.

Stepping around her and releasing her arms, he said with artificial

amusement, "Excuse me, Mrs. Troi. Today I went into space more than

ready to give my life to save your daughter. Now, I'm going

upstairs to see Deanna, whether she likes it or not, and whether you

like it or not." He hesitated, turning his head back towards her as a

wicked grin erupted upon his handsome face. "I may be some time." he

added, daring her to deny him.

A spark of pride lit up her eyes as she watched him continue up the

stairs. _Now that's a man_ she mused to herself, and then sighed, her

amusement replaced the longing. _Sheesh, how can I be so jealous of my_

_own daughter! It's definitely time I got myself married again!_

_Tbc..._


	40. Chapter 40

Chapter forty

Firmly, and without ceremony, and without knocking, Will turned the handle

of Deanna's bedroom door and opened it. He didn't see the point of being

polite; she knew he was coming, he was sure of that and empathy had

nothing to do with it. Pure common sense would have told her that he

would come to her. Need would have told her that he would come to her

tonight. Destiny also foretold that he would come to her. He had to. He

couldn't not.

As quietly as he entered Will closed the door behind him, his eyes

taking in every detail of the room, including the fact that she didn't

appear to be in it. Even though he couldn't physically see her, Will

sensed her presence, felt her presence and smelt it in the feint,

flowery scent that lingered around him along with the haphazard array

of clothing strewn upon her bed.

Will slowly stepped towards her bathroom drawn by the heat from her

recent shower as it permeated through the slightly open door, and he

didn't even hesitate as he took in a deep breath and drank in the clean,

erotic aroma. His eyes drifted shut as the image of the woman he longed

to see swam before him.

_Deanna slowly came towards him with a large_

_fluffy towel draped demurely around her slender body. He lost himself in_

_the welcoming smile upon her face and then melted as he watched the_

_smile turn wanton as her hands drifted up to the tight knot..._

But it all vanished as quickly as it came like a bubble bursting as the

breeze from the window whipped in and broke his dreaming and stopping the

wayward thoughts in their tracks as he felt the cool touch of the

evening's chill brush his skin. Will very quickly realised that Deanna's

shower was even more recent than his original assumption, the draft from

the window not yet reaching the bathroom's steamy interior sufficiently

enough to cool it down.

_So where the hell are you, you crazy female?_ he mused, the

whoosh of air leaving his lungs as disappointment set in as her urge

to see him wasn't as strong as his urge to see Deanna. And he wanted to.

Oh, God, he wanted to, so much. So much so that his heart ached as he

stood in the middle of her dainty, feminine bedroom and suddenly felt

completely alone, confused and hurt.

And then he heard it. He heard her. Well, not exactly _her,_ but as

soon as it he heard it he realised that he'd found what he was looking

for. It wasn't much, but as soon as he heard it, the penny dropped and

he couldn't stop the knowing grin from erupting upon his face, and with

four silent steps he moved furtively towards the window.

Looking down his breath caught in his throat as he watched the top of

Deanna's head as she attempted to find her footing upon the lattice work

that sporadically encased the outer walls. The same lattice that he had

scaled himself not so long ago just to get to her. The only difference was

that he was a whole foot taller than the petite woman that was

struggling to place her foot somewhere safe, and she was failing making

Will's heart briefly stop with alarm.

Leaning through the window, Will stooped low and held out his hand,

dangling it just in front of her face. At first, she so intent with keeping

herself from falling that Deanna didn't notice the proffered hand, but when

she did, she didn't have to look up to know who it belonged to. Will

Riker had distinctive hands; huge hands. Hands that she had watched take

her to heaven. Hands that were as familiar to her body as well as her

own now. Hands that were offering her a life-line. Hands that would

inevitably put her right back to where she'd started; Back within the

cradle of his arms.

The breath that Deanna had been holding in fear now left her lungs in

defeat, and rising wary eyes Deanna met his. She was convinced that she

would see anger or contempt, but all she saw was a compassion that she

felt she didn't deserve. Shame slipped into her conscience briefly too

when it dawned on her that what she was doing to him was nothing short

of torture and Will did not deserve that.

But she couldn't seem to help it. The man frightened her to death. The

one man that she should have been feeling totally at home with and

comfortable enough to spend the rest of her life with, and love, bombarded

her very soul with terror, and every time that she knew she was going to

come face to face with Will she found herself frantic with the need to

get away from him.

And she was more than aware that he recognized that and that hurt her

even more.

Time ticked by second by painful second and for a long moment Will

didn't think Deanna was going to take his hand so that he could haul her

back into the bedroom, and more importantly, back to safety. And for an

even longer moment they simply looked at each other. Will could only

watch as the demons within her battled against her and with what he was

sure he was trying to silently tell her; that he cared. That he wasn't

going to go away, and that above all else, he loved her.

And then the world started revolving again as finally, Deanna's hand

reached out to his and he firmly folded his long fingers around her

shorter ones. Will gently pulled her up towards him and when he was sure

that her feet were firmly planted back upon the concrete ledge that

surrounded the entire house and putting her head just about within reaching

distance of his, Will halted his rescue, holding her close to the wall

so that she didn't fall back.

Startled when Will stopped Deanna clung onto the window's edge for

dear life even though the man that held on to her showed no sign of

letting her go. Puzzled, she turned her face to his and met his eyes

square on. Barely a heartbeat stood between them; so close, so, so

close and yet an abyss sat between them, for her part. For his it was

merely a puddle, a puddle that was easily breached.

Mesmerized, Deanna could only watch as Will slowly moved his face

closer to hers. He was going to kiss her, she was sure of that and she

felt her body, her mind and her will surrender to the inevitable,

suddenly aching for the contact and desperate to rejoin their souls, even

if it was only for a moment.

She felt his breath caress her skin and memories whispered through her

mind of another time, another moment when Will had come close to her,

close enough to illicit the same feelings that she was feeling now and

her heart cried out for him to kiss her. Her eyes fluttered shut as she

breathlessly waited, but as the seconds passed by Deanna's eyes slowly

drifted open, puzzlement pouring from their inky depths as she once more

met his.

Hunger rode through him and Will wanted nothing more than to

give into what he wanted, as well as what the woman wanted before him. But he

couldn't, not yet. Not until he'd tried, yet again to settle Deanna's

very unsettled feelings towards him. He knew he could wash each and every one of

them away simply by sweeping her into his arms and making love to her.

If it had been any other woman that would have been how he would have

dealt with the situation.

But this wasn't just any other woman. This was Deanna. She was his

future and he wasn't going to blow it, not again. Raising his palm, Will

gently settled it against her jaw, looked deep into her eyes and

whispered huskily, "Please stop running away from me, Deanna. I'm not

going to hurt you, I promise."

Unable any longer to resist the pull of his lips Deanna closed her

eyes and slowly lay her mouth against his and felt her entire being melt

with the rightness of the motion, but barely a second later Will pulled

his mouth away, back to its original, tormenting position and

Deanna felt the loss right down to the pit of her stomach.

Lifting her heavy eyes to meet his, Deanna drowned in what she saw. Raw

Need. But not an amorous need, although it was there, deep within his

body. The need she saw went much further and deeper than that. It was

their Imzadi bond, she was more than aware that as it was the one thing that she

found herself constantly fighting against even though it had been the

most beautiful thing she had ever experienced in her entire life.

Even though the man before her was her destiny, in every sense of the

word, it was a destiny destined to encase the rest of her life with

pain and Deanna didn't think she could take that amount of agony. She'd

witnessed enough of it with her parents. Her father had undoubtedly

promised the same things to her mother, but it hadn't made the slightest

bit of difference to their lives. He had still died, and her mother still

nursed a broken heart, but not so anyone would notice.

But Deanna knew. Time and time again she'd heard her mother in the

dead of night crying as though her heart was breaking all over again.

She'd heard her talking to him in her sleep. She'd heard her moans as

she'd called upon precious Imzadi moments that allowed a man and woman

to relive intimate unions just as she had shown Will in the Arboretum.

And each and every time it had torn Deanna's heart apart, reinforcing

her decision to never put herself in the same position.

But she had. She'd already done it, with the man that watched her

intently for a decision. A decision that destiny had already taken

away from her and she was still pissed off about it, big time. She'd

felt that her life had been snatched away from her.

But she was going to have one last go at getting it back. Decision made.

"Don't make promises you can't keep, Will." She muttered as she began

to clamour through the window, with or without his help.

After the initial thoughts of strangling her evaporated Will helped

Deanna climb back in through the window. But as soon as she hit solid

ground again she wrenched herself out of his arms as bitterness raged

through her at a hundred miles an hour.

Will went to reach for her again but she evaded his hands. "Don't,

Will," she spat, anguish and tears filling her words. "Don't touch me. I

couldn't stand it right now."

But she hadn't figured on the tenacity of William Riker when he'd set

his mind and his heart on something, and before she realised his

intent, Will reached out for her arms and held her within a steely

grip that dared her to turn and run.

He was angry now, angrier than he'd been for a long time. "Oh, no, you

don't, Princess, you're not going to do this to me again, not after

everything I've gone through because of you. Don't you think you owe _me_

something, Deanna?" he cried. "I almost died out there for you. Doesn't

that say enough for you? Isn't that enough for you, Deanna!?"

The tears rose from where they were waiting and pooled in her eyes, her

anger dissipating in a shower of self-loathing and fear; fear of losing

the man before her forever because of her inability to hold back her

soul. She'd tried, so hard not become Imzadi, because of feeling the

way she felt right then, and for instances like what had happened out in

space earlier when she had almost lost him.

The ache of losing him almost killed her and Deanna just didn't think she was

ready to take on that kind of responsible; that amount of loss, because

she knew that becoming Imzadi, becoming one, meant that the pain of

losing him became ten-fold. Unbearable. Indescribable.

Choking back on a sob, Deanna looked up into the face of the only man

she knew she would ever love, and cried, "Yes! yes! But don't you

understand, Will? I don't want you to die for me! I don't want to have

to sit here and wait for you wondering if you're all right. I don't

want to hurt like I hurt right now. Can't you understand that!?"

Dropping his hands to his sides, failure surged through Will's body

like a draining plug-hole. As he stood staring at the woman who he, up

to now had been sure he'd be spending the rest of his life with, as pain

ripped through his soul, Will sadly looked down at her. He was hardly

audible when he spoke, his eyes glistening with the force of his words.

"But I didn't die, Deanna. I didn't die. _I'm right here_."

Torn from her soul, the tears that Deanna battled to hold back sprang

free as the truth of his heart-felt declaration fell from his mouth.

Unable to hold herself away from him any longer, Deanna drifted into

Will's arms and snaked her own around his waist. The anguish that racked

her body echoed in her thoughts that were now clearly defined upon her

tear stained face as she rose it to his.

"This time, Will," she said brokenly. "How many times will you put me

through this torture just so that we can stay together?" she asked.

Will couldn't hold her gaze as the truth in her words penetrated the

misery that cascaded through him. She was right, he knew. She was so

very right. But this was life; the biggest gamble in the whole universe,

and if he'd learned anything in his short life, it was that he was a

pretty good game player and he wasn't throwing his hand in just yet.

But that wasn't what Deanna wanted to hear.

So he lowered his mouth to hers instead, pulling her tight against his

body so that he could soak up her heat; feel that she was real and

alive and that what he was holding in his arms was not the dream that

had consumed him for the past two days.

What in God's name would he do without her if he walked away

now? He couldn't do it. He simply could not do it.

But he was going to have to.

_But not now. Not tonight _

_Tbc..._


	41. Chapter 41

Chapter forty one

Still entwined neither spoke as they clung to each other as they each felt

their hearts pound together in unity. They trembled like leaves on the

breeze until the sweet and healing kiss ended. But for each of them the

tremble was for different reasons.

Even though Deanna had decided that the tenuous relationship between

them needed to end and she knew, deep down in her soul, that only

heart -break lay ahead for her, by putting herself back into Will's arms and

kissing him as they clung onto the Imzadi bond that shackled them with

invisible chains she shredded every cognizant denial that entered her

being. Will was to be forever a part of her, a part that became renewed

and reborn each and every time she saw him, or touched him, and, God

help her, loved him.

It was only when he wasn't close enough to touch that the demons came

and took over and ripped him away from her soul leaving her mindless with

grief. And when logic and sanity penetrated the love that she felt

cascade through her whenever Will was thinking about her, it scared her

senseless. Scared her into doing the ridiculous things that she was

doing just to avoid him. Just to avoid the cataclysmic agony that

stabbed at her heart incessantly.

That was until she stepped into his arms and it all vanished. _If only_

_you could stay here with me, Imzadi. If only you were truly mine_. She

whispered silently, uncaring if her heard her or not as her small hands

slid up his back pulling his heart nearer to her ear so that she

could listen to the heavy beat, taking comfort in its unsteadiness

whilst knowing that inside, he was suffering as much as she.

Sighing heavily, Will pulled her deeper into his embrace as he absorbed

her silent words, he rested his suddenly tired head upon hers as the wave

of apathy flooded through him along with her words. Words that he didn't

want to hear, or acknowledge.

She wanted him to stay; to give up Starfleet and remain here with her

on Betazed. But he couldn't do that, even though his heart and his head

were screaming at him to give in and become what destiny had so recently

bestowed upon him.

_Imzadi_. Such a powerful word and an even more powerful sensation, one

that he could not ignore even if he wanted to. Holding Deanna in his

arms and greedily soaking up her love was testament to the strength of the

bond. He felt it wrap itself around them both and tie them together, and

equally, possibly even more so, he felt it when they were apart, because

it left him feeling torn, bereft and empty.

But, he reasoned, he would feel empty even without the bond. He loved

this woman with every fibre of his soul, and when he left Betazed, it

was going to be the hardest thing he'd ever do. But, he was more than

aware that leaving Deanna was going to leave a void in his life that he

had no concept of dealing with. He didn't even know where to start.

But he was going to have to.

But not yet. Not tonight.

The resounding clunk of a door closing brought the couple apart with

puzzlement. Dropping his arms down Will linked his fingers with

Deanna's and moved nearer to the window so that he could see the street

below. Deanna followed his line of sight, her eyes settling on the

retreating back of her mother and her trusted valet, Homn.

Fully aware that she'd been spotted, Lwaxana glanced over her shoulder

And threw a wave and a smile their way. Her noisy exit had been

deliberate and she thought, very necessary. No one was more conscious of

the decisions being made between her daughter and the man that she had

chosen than she was. Destiny had to choose its road, one way or the

other and she was going to help in any way that she could. Leaving them

in peace seemed a good place to start, not that she thought that the

young Starfleet officer would be bothered about her hearing things that

were not for a mother's ears, or mind.

"I'm going to the hospital to visit, Jeb, my dears. I may be some time."

She added glibly, her eyes lighting up with mischief before continuing

on her way, the swish of her dress fading along with her footsteps

leaving Will and Deanna staring after her, their bemusement and awareness

taking over from where sorrow left off. Lwaxana turned the corner and quickly

became out of sight and then completely out of mind. Will took a deep breath and

steeled himself to face the woman beside him knowing that things for them were

about to take a different corner altogether.

Shyly their eyes met briefly as longing and doubt swam in their depths

creating a silent moment that neither seemed able to fill. Breaking

their linked hands apart, Deanna found herself wandering aimlessly away from

Will, moving cautiously and slowly as she endeavoured to fight against

the magnetism that constantly hauled her towards him.

They were going to make love, of that she was sure. Her body and soul

vibrated with the knowledge that they were going to be joined, in every

nuance of the word once more. It was just a matter of when they would

both give up the fight and succumb to her mother's more than blatant

suggestion.

If only life was that simple.

Sighing, Deanna slowly sat down upon the small chair in front of her

dressing table, her gaze never leaving the man opposite, who, after a

moment followed suit and sat himself down upon her bed. It was the

only logical place for him to sit and he did so with some reluctance.

Not because it was her bed and it was pink and frilly and he felt

incredibly silly, but because he simply wanted her on it with him doing

the natural thing that lovers do, frills and all.

Deanna watched Will, ignoring his unease as she tried to find the words

to break the uncomfortable silence. She took a deep, unsteady breath as

she boldly faced Will and finally spoke. "You shouldn't have come."

Her decidedly brave but stupid words released the stiffness that kept

Will's body rigid, inwardly smiling as he realized that she was going to

keep up the futile fight. He liked fighting with her. It meant the

making-up would require very ounce of his masculine skills to subdue

whatever it was that kept her coming back for more.

Most of the time. There had been a couple of occasions when her arguing

had torn him to pieces as he battled against her, it leaving him mentally

battered and bleeding. But not this time. This time he welcomed the

argument because he'd been given Lwaxana's blessing to prove himself

and he wasn't going to waste the opportunity, even though it could, and would,

probably be his last intimate encounter with her daughter.

He took and even deeper breath than she. "Yes I should have. We're not

finished yet, Deanna. You can't push me away this time." he said with

conviction.

Deanna swallowed and her dark eyes rose to meet his in defiance. "I will

not let you destroy my life any further, Will. I don't want to see you

anymore."

Will smiled, but the smile didn't quite reach his eyes. "Too bad. I'm

not going anywhere until we resolve this." he promised.

Deanna blinked as fear crept up her spine. "Resolve what?" she asked with

bewilderment, her slender shoulders rising. "You are destined for the

stars and I am beholden to my planet and my people. One day, I will become an

ambassador like my mother. I belong here, Will, and you will not stay

with me."

Will stood and made his way slowly towards her. "You haven't actually

asked me what my plans are, Deanna. You're being a little presumptuous

about my future, aren't you?" he asked, reaching her chair and spreading

his hands upon it's back so that he could look down onto her face.

Courage filled her again as she searched his azure eyes which now

glittered with malice. "No," she told him. "You're a Starfleet officer.

You would not have joined if your intention was to remain on land."

_And here with me_. She silently added.

"But things have changed, haven't they, Deanna?" he asked. "I made love

to you and you changed my entire existence. I'm still not sure if I

should be pissed about it or overjoyed." He pushed himself away from

her as disgust and despair surged through him as he fought against the

frustration that consumed him along with her pull, a pull that seemed to

constantly be there. He moved across to the window and stared unseeing

out at the street below trying to make sense of it all, and failing.

When he spoke again, his heart hurt with the all the confusing chaos

it was trying to decipher. He gave up on that quickly too.

"Frankly, lady, I don't know whether I'm coming or going, and I don't

much like the feeling."

His words hurt them both because they were each torn with the same

excruciating dilemma and for a long moment, Deanna couldn't answer him,

simply because she didn't know what to say. But her silence unnerved

Will; made him feel lost, desperate even, because he was conscious that

silence usually meant the answer would not be the one he wanted to hear.

He spun on his heels, his palm reaching towards her, beseechingly.

"Deanna..." He paused, hesitant to ask the obvious. "Imzadi, what are we

going to do about _us_?"

Deanna held the breath that caught in her throat when Will spoke the

one word that meant more than live itself to her. "What do _you_ want to

do, Will?"

His answering anger made Deanna jump even though, deep down, she

expected nothing less. She couldn't help it, it was the Betazoid within

her; analysing, soothing, questioning. But Will's response quickly told

her that this wasn't somebody else's life she was trying to aid, it was

her own, and Will's.

"Damn it, Deanna, don't do that!" He roared, sorrow forcing his voice

to crack under the strain of keeping himself from losing it all

together. "Don't keep treating me like one of your cases. I deserve more

than that. I deserve an answer, Dee. An honest answer."

The fire in his words left as quickly as they came and Will dropped to

his knees onto the floor before her and took her icy fingers within his

warmer ones, his eyes reaching into her heart for an answer to their

desperate situation.

But she couldn't give him what he sought. "Will," she wept with the

wretchedness that they both felt, her face twisted and tortured with

indecision. "I don't know. I just don't know." She cried.

Will couldn't take anymore. It was over and done with. They'd

reached stalemate. Neither wanted to let go of something that they both

realized was beyond their ability or comprehension, but they both

knew how important the bond had become They simply were

not ready to give every inch of their hearts, bodies and souls, or

their separate lives to become what Imzadi required them to be.

_One. _

Nor were they prepared just walk away from each other without,

_something_. And that something was there, now, right between them,

waiting. Will answered the plea by pulling Deanna from her chair and up

into his arms holding her tight against his chest as he carried her

a few steps to the bed.

As he lay her down amongst the tumbled array of bedding and clothes it

all got discounted as Deanna laced her arms around his neck, pulling him

down with her and settling her mouth upon his as her head touched the soft

pillow. Their tongues snaked together to caress one others in a blatant and

evocative movement that spoke volumes.

Gently Will gathered her within his arms and kissed her as deeply as

he could stealing her breath away to keep it for his own, for another

time and another place. For tomorrow, when he left Betazed, and Deanna, his

Imzadi, for good.

The tears began to flow as they tenderly and reverently began to divest

each other of their clothing. It was done in silence, a silence that had been

accepted as the decision that had mutually passed between them as

Will had picked Deanna up to carry her to the bed. It was to be their last

intimate bonding before he left.

_Their final unspeakable goodbye. _

_Tbc..._


	42. Chapter 42

Chapter forty two

The sunset's shadows crept across the naked couple, heating their skin

as it said good night to the day. But neither Will or Deanna noticed as

they lay entwined upon the bed . The only sound to be heard was the seductive

rustle of linen as slow, exploring fingers swept along each others

bodies and the heady, desperate strangulated gasps of longing as they

kissed. Unable to stop them Deanna's tears trailed down her temple and

through her hair to leave an ever growing damp patch upon her pillow, but

neither acknowledged them. Neither wanted to.

Will lay nestled between her thighs, his thick length nestled against

her, comfortable to be there as though it had always belonged and had done for many

years, the small movements along her heated and damp softness, delicious

and totally torturous, familiar and wanted. The desire to plunge himself

deep into her body consumed everything but his mind, but his heart

refused to give in to the physical need. He was going to take it slow

even if it killed him, despite Deanna's futile attempts otherwise.

Eventually, Deanna began to squirm against him, trying frantically to

move just enough so that Will would slip inside her, but he wasn't having

any of it and evaded her every effort until, with a groan of agony, he

tore his mouth from hers and captured her head within the palm of his

hands and searched her face and pleaded for mercy.

"Sweetheart," he moaned, "Baby, stop. I'm trying to go slow but you're

making it impossible for me." Even as he said it he couldn't stop

himself from gyrating gently against her welcoming body.

But she was a novice and right at that moment Will was relieved that

she was. A more experienced woman would have known how to manipulate him

into getting what she wanted. A more experienced woman wouldn't be

laying there with tears streaming from her eyes as the dark, glistening

orbs begging him to make love to her. She would have flipped him over

and impaled herself upon him. She would have reached in between their

bodies and guided him into her. She would have...

In a heartbeat Will found himself flat on his back, the air leaving his

lungs on a whoosh with the surprise and ferocity of her sudden and

aggressive manoeuvre. Even though her eyes still shone with spent and

unspent tears, Deanna had that determined, 'I'm in control now, buster'

upon her face.

Will stared at her, shocked at her boldness, his eyes widening even

more as she shimmied her lower body down his stomach, her moist heat

burning a trail all the way down to his burgeoning and waiting hardness

and he couldn't stop himself from dropping his hands to her hips to

guide her to him, her dampness re-lubricating him, preparing him for

that final union.

Dropping her palms to his hair-roughened chest, Deanna spread her

fingers wide, balancing herself above him, tormenting him with her body and

enticing him with her eyes and her smile. "So you think I'm not

experienced, Lieutenant Riker, hmm?" She drawled, her voice husky with

the tears that still threatened to fall. "You think that just because

you've only made love to me twice that I know nothing about the act of

having sex?"

Will inwardly groaned realizing in an instant that the witch had

invaded his mind. "That's not fair, Deanna. You have the advantage

over...me." But his choice of words had a strange effect on him and his

movements grew still along with his hands, his body and even his heartbeat for

a moment.

Deanna grew still along with him, watching his face with dismay at her

untimely admission, mentally berating herself for using her gift to

better the man beneath her, a gift that was scorned amongst her own kind.

"I don't think I like you invading my mind, Deanna. It kind of makes a

relationship pointless, doesn't it?" he asked sadly, feeling his body

and ardour cool considerably. He shifted her from his lap and sat up,

swinging his legs over the edge leaving her kneeling behind him. He felt

her slump onto her heels, her sorrow sweeping over him in a wave that

crashed against his own feeling of loss and betrayal.

"I'm sorry," she murmured and Will's shoulders drooped along with his

futile attempt to argue against her. Time was too short, for them both,

but he wasn't going to let up, not yet. He liked it when they sparked

together and they were both itching to re-ignite. But it still stung.

Surrendering to the inevitable, Will sighed as she shifted towards him

and wilted when her hands settled upon his shoulders. He dug his fingers

into the mattress' edge effectively shifting his frustration and longing into the

beds softness rather than aim it at Deanna.

"Then why did you do it?" he growled quietly, his attempt at inflicting

some annoyance into his voice failing as she dug her fingers into the a

tight knot between his shoulder blades that he hadn't even noticed was

there. "Do you have any idea how it makes me feel knowing that whatever

I'm thinking about, or who I'm thinking about, you know about it,

intimately? It's trespassing on my privacy, Deanna. It's not fair."

But Will melted even more when he felt Deanna's mouth touch the top of

his spine, her moist lips leaving behind an imprint that cooled as soon

as her mouth left his skin, "I said, I'm sorry, Will." Her voice grew

husky and slightly sulky but it only lasted for a second or two. Will

felt a different shift within her and he stiffened in anticipation as he

felt her breath against his nape as she trailed her tongue along it's

length.

"Do you want to see what I'm thinking about?" she asked innocently but

her words were laced with mischief and Will soon garnered the idea that

it was anything but as she pressed her naked breasts against his back

and slid her palms down his chest, leaving feint welts as she raked them

back up to his shoulders. One palm continued higher, pulling his chin

around so that she could settle her open mouth upon his. The apologetic

kiss barely began before she felt his tongue beg for admission, and forgiveness.

.

Will couldn't deny her one thing as he twisted his torso and slipped

a hand around her waist and pulled her around onto his lap finding

himself right back to where he was just a few moments ago. Gravity and

Deanna's insistence pulled him back flat on his back. She hovered a

scant few inches away from his face looking deep into his eyes, and he

was sure that she was looking right into his very soul.

Will drowned in the chocolate pools and he felt himself harden purely

on what he saw before him. He laced his fingers with hers and silently

together they studied the tender and innocent joining of their hands.

So simple but so overwhelmingly powerful.

Will's gaze left their united hands and studied Deanna's face

as thoughts tumbled through his mind at what tomorrow would bring. He

would leave her, because he had to, and he wasn't looking forward to the

fall-out that was going to happen when he did.

But that was tomorrow. Today... today was different. Today he needed

her. And today he wasn't going to let her go. Nor was he going to let go

of her hands. She was so beautiful and Will mentally pinched himself to

re-assure his mind that he was indeed here with her, in her bed and they

about to make love, both mentally and physically.

_Why us? Why did have to go so wrong for us?_ He mused sadly as a lump formed

in his throat at the bittersweet gift that destiny had accorded him, a

gift that was going to be the ultimate cost of something that would

never ever be fulfilled and his gut began to churn with a mixture of

sorrow, plus a strange sense of gratitude.

Deanna watched Will silently as she hovered above him and watched the

conflicting play of emotions flicker, not only across his face, but

through his entire being. Feeling slightly ridiculous, leaning over him,

stark naked and hovering on the brink of taking him into her body before taking

them both onto that next level of ecstasy, she gently lowered her form

against his, the movement so subtle, so slow that anything sexual that

could be garnered from the motion became diluted in the tender action.

Instinctively Will's arms moved to hold her close and he sensed the

change in Deanna's mind and body again as they switched mode, neither

able to hold onto the constant ebb and flow of their slowly crumbling

relationship.

_God, what are we going to do_? He sighed, melting against her and tucking

his face into the soft curve of her throat, drinking up her scent and the

sense of peace that always seeped through and calmed him, cherished him,

and Will wondered if it felt exactly the same for her.

Will's warmth flowed through Deanna physically and spiritually

drowning her in the river of turbulent emotion that poured from his soul.

_What can we do?_ Deanna wondered sadly to herself and feeling

the tears prick at her eyes again. She'd heard his silent question and

her heart ached for not only him, but for them. For the loss of never

knowing what their future was going to be like, or for the children that

they were never going to bear.

For everything.

Deanna answered him silently._ You're not staying, so I've got to let_

_you go. _But he didn't hear her, the thought too deep within her, too

painful to let him see.

Deanna turned her face and buried it deeper into Will's shoulder as she

tried to hold on to her crushed emotions feeling a cascade of pure

agony ripple through her setting off a tremor that threatened to engulf

her. But her guttural silent thought created a breath from Will that was

so painful that it was hoarse and Deanna realised that she had not only

said it silently, she had whispered it aloud.

"I'm going to let you go, Imzadi. That's what I'm going to do. I'm

going to let you go."

Time stopped until unsteadily Will pushed her up by her shoulders

until he met her eyes head on. Lifting her face to his Deanna hovered

just above his, close enough for her to see herself within his blue

eyes. Close enough for him to know that what she was telling him was

important even though it was breaking her heart. Moving his hands to

gently cup her cheeks Will searched their depths for the truth and saw it

there, along with acceptance, sorrow, loss, pity, bravery, and her own

tearful farewell.

"I'm sorry, Imzadi, I never meant for this to happen to us." He

whispered thickly.

Deanna's eyes slipped shut as she tried in vain to shut out everything

that was so desperately wrong, the small shake of her head defying her

shattered heart. Will pulled her lips to his and gently kissed her. But

one kiss wasn't enough to remove the searing pain that bubbled up from

deep inside and he kissed her again, and again, and then again until pain

became a bruising ardour determined to seek justice for being denied.

As the kisses deepened their bodies responded to the gentle coaxing,

like two lost souls searching for home they joined as one on every level.

Will edged himself inside Deanna without the carnal need that had

consumed him earlier. He didn't need it now; that all consuming need to

take and possess her. He had gone beyond that.

This was about Imzadi, pure and simple. It wasn't about love, and it

wasn't about desire. It was about being whole. Complete.

_One_.

A oneness that was soon to be ripped apart, forever.

Tbc...


	43. Chapter 43

Chapter forty three

When the steam filled the room once more Will was aware that Deanna

was standing quietly in the bathroom doorway watching him. It seemed

eons ago that they had showered together, washing away the last remnants

of their love-making and replacing it with something infinitely more

memorable and everlasting.

He lay upon her bed face down, his head cushioned by his forearms as he

dozed waiting for her to finish her shower. Moments later he grinned

lazily to himself when he felt her weight touch the bed's edge and she

crawled up his body, kissing her way up his spine until she lay flush

upon him and settling her face between his shoulder blades instantly

comforted by the steady, even heartbeat against her breast.

The deep sigh that she took as Will raised a palm and lovingly cupped

her head, his large hand engulfing it with its size, momentarily washed

away the rising panic that bubbled up within her. It was almost time for

the goodbye to come that had consumed them both for the last couple of

hours.

"You okay?" Will mumbled, his quiet voice heavy with tiredness, bone-

weary fatigue and sadness.

Will felt her nod against his back, feeling her thoughts to his

question fill her with a pain that coincided with his own and he

realized then that he couldn't walk away from her tonight and never see

her again. As selfish as it made him seem, he needed to see her again.

Tomorrow, before he left. Before he moved on with his life and his

career. That was his goal now.

It had taken a long and painful time to make his decision about whether

to stay with the woman he loved or leave her behind and fulfil his

destiny.

Destiny had won.

Maybe, just maybe, they would find each other again, somewhere,

Sometime, out there and be given a second chance.

Will was willing to risk heartache for a future. Only destiny, a word

that had become to feature in many of his hope and dreams, and a few of

his nightmares, would decide if he and Deanna would meet again. Only

destiny would be cruel enough to deny them that chance.

The lazy strokes upon Will's arms and the tiny kisses upon his

shoulders began to make Deanna's body stir. The towel that hugged her

torso became an unwanted barrier and Deanna wished that she'd slipped it

off before she climbed upon Will's back.

She wanted him, again. How long had it been? Ten, fifteen minutes? It

wasn't long ago but she was dimly aware that there was a desperation

creeping in; a futile attempt to keep him with her for longer.

Will felt Deanna wriggle against his butt with a movement that could

not be anything other than sexual and he rewarded her with nothing more

than a tired chuckle. "Forget it. I'm gonna need at least another hour."

_Another hour. _

He'd be gone in another hour and the comprehension dawned quicker than

having an ice cold bucket of water thrown over them both. But before he

could stop himself his next words surprised them both as he asked her

quietly, but urgently. "Will you come and see me off tomorrow? I need to

see you before I go"

Will turned his head enough to look into Deanna's startled eyes as she

rose her head to move it enough to see his face. To see the plea in his

eyes. Her silence as she watched him unnerved him a little; that she

seemed to be considering refusing his unreasonable request. But now he'd

said it; that he'd asked the unthinkable, he realized that he wanted it

more than anything else.

He moved his face nearer to hers hovering just a breath away from her

mouth. Touching his lips to hers Will whispered one word that was torn

from his heart.

"Please?"

Moulding her lips against his Deanna softened to his plea. She

shouldn't do it. She shouldn't hurt her soul any more than it was

already suffering. But then, she thought rationally, it couldn't hurt

any more than it already did. Her heart ached with sorrow and her mind

was numb with grief, but then, Will was suffering as much as she was,

and if he was willing to prolong the inevitable, then so was she.

Quietly separating her lips from his, her eyes shut tight against the

pain that had surfaced with his plea, she murmured, before settling her

mouth against his once more, "Yes, Imzadi, I will come."

Tbc...


	44. Chapter 44

Chapter forty four

He thought maybe it would take him maybe half an hour to pack away his

belongings, but every time he picked something up, folded it and tucked

it away into his holdall Will didn't seem to be able to stop himself

from slowly wandering around the room, coming to a halt each time in

front of the small window that over-looked the large landscaped area

before the camp.

Even though his heart and his common sense told him that Deanna

wouldn't come to him after all he silently wished that she would. Outside he

watched shadows move in the moonlight and thought - hoped that one of

them was her coming to him only to deflate with immense disappointment

as they disappeared out of sight and he was forced to move his

thoughts and his feet back to the task at hand.

The first inkling that he wasn't alone came as he stuffed, with a

little more force than necessary, a pair of socks into a spare corner of

the bag and he felt his spine stiffen with a combination of reasons.

Had she come to him? And now that she was here, did he really want to

see her? He didn't know what he was going to say to her. He wasn't even

sure if he could face her now. When he had left her barely a scant

couple of hours ago, Will didn't even know if he was going to be granted

his reassignment. It had taken a lot of coercion and a lot of bull-headed

bravado until finally it had taken threats to get him what he wanted;

Off this rock and away from Deanna, and to the freedom that he was certain

he wanted.

But, God help him, if he was going to have to face her again before

their pre-arranged time, he wasn't sure if he was going to be able to

uphold any one of his many excuses.

The pull towards Deanna consumed each and every pore. Each and every

coherent thought. Each and every indecision. Each and every one of them

was eating him alive and he'd all but run out of the strength needed to fight

them off.

But when he heard the very unmistakable rustle of the stiff material

that only seemed to adorn one particular woman on Betazed, the breath

left his lungs on a relieved whoosh. With his hands now shaking from the

released tension that had gripped him, Will picked up another pair of

socks from his bed and carried on stuffing them into another corner of

his bag. The silence was unnerving, but the anticipation of what was to

come was even more daunting.

Without turning to face her, Will spoke first. "You didn't have to come

all the way out here in the middle of the night to tell me what a

bastard I am, Mrs. Troi, I already know."

Turning only his head towards her as she stepped into the room, Will

waited for the inevitable tongue lashing that he was certain he

deserved, but she surprised him, yet again. The woman never ceased to

stupefy him. She had so many hidden depths, talents, plus a knowledge

about life and all its quirks, he was constantly in awe of her, and

constantly wary of her too.

Her casual stroll towards him didn't fool him either. The woman was on

a mission and it was clear that she had come to say some things that he

really did not want to hear, certainly not right now when his heart was

bleeding with pain.

Instead of moving in beside him like he expected her to do, Will coyly

watched as she made her way over to the same window that had pulled him

God knows how many times, towards it. As she spoke, their eyes caught

for a brief moment. "I know you do, William, but I'd thank you to not

use that language within my earshot, please, Lieutenant."

His mumbled, 'sorry', was quickly shot down with a quick retort. "No

you're not."

Will's eyebrows rose along with his eyes as they met hers once more.

"No, I'm not, you're right. I'm worse."

It was her turn for her eyes to relay her surprise. "Why? Because you

couldn't conform to a custom that your world has never heard about, or

ever had the privilege of experiencing? Nor was it your fault, William

that Deanna went out of her way to make sure that you became Imzadi."

Lwaxana pushed herself away from the window and slowly made her way

towards him, her voice low with regret. "The only way you could have

stopped that, William, was to never have come here, or not had fallen in

love with my daughter."

Will went to open his mouth to speak but she stopped him before he

could get one word out and he closed it again with a snap. "That was

taken out of your hands before you had even put your two big feet upon

my planet."

The instant she had put the simple reason into viable words, the answer

came to him as clearly as dawn breaking on the horizon.

"Destiny," He breathed, not even bothering to hide the touch of awe

that slipped into the natural conclusion as it fell from his lips. It

wasn't a question. It was a statement of fact and Lwaxana answered with

a tiny nod of her own head.

"Destiny." she confirmed needlessly.

For a long respectful moment they stood and let the word settle

between them. Such a powerful word, and equally, a word that could turn

about on its heels and destroy; Beauty and the Beast. The Devil and the

Divine. Heaven and Hell.

Which was which?

As Will tried in vain to claw his way back towards Heaven he could

only feel Hell grabbing him by the ankles and pull him back down. To

where? He wondered, because he thought he was already there, or almost there. A

couple more hours and he would be. A couple more hours and the pain that

was steadily ripping out his soul was going to succeed in its sadistic

task.

Will gasped as he tried to keep down the rising wave of agony that

began to engulf him as he tried valiantly to hold it together before one

of the few people who knew what he was going through, and it made him as

angry as hell.

"So why has Destiny kicked us both in the proverbial nu...teeth?" He

emended as he spotted the familiar rise of her eyebrows. "Why

aren't Deanna and I going to get a chance at fulfilling our destiny,

Mrs. Troi? Tell me why not...please." he pleaded, with his heart on his

sleeve.

"Because," she said sadly, "You're the one who's stopping it from

happening. The human part of you is fighting it every step of the way.

It won't give in, Will, not even knowing what it is about to lose. Even

though it is killing you inside."

Lwaxana blinked back the sudden tears that rose as she watched the man

before her go pale with guilt; to know that it was his fault that all

the pain and suffering was down to him alone, and down to his inability to

give in. But even faced with the truth, his life-long demands to follow

his dream still far out-weighed what Destiny had offered him.

Will's eyes sparkled suspiciously bright as he took his pain and some

of his anger out on Lwaxana. "Why did you allow it to happen to us? You

could have had me kicked off this planet before I'd gotten off my ship.

You had the foresight and the power to have stopped all this before it

had a chance to start."

Her simple shrug dismissed his blame as though she expected it.

Welcomed it even. Will had a lot of guilt to rid himself from before he left

her homeworld. It was true she did have the power to do everything that

he'd said, and more besides, but life wasn't made to be that easy. She,

of all people knew that better than most, despite what it had cost her.

"Because I selfishly wanted my daughter to have her chance of

Happiness, as I'd had, Will. I had to give her the opportunity to

become your Imzadi. I could never have forgiven myself if I had

purposely stopped the natural course of what was to happen."

Lwaxana turned away from him and headed back towards the window once

more leaning her arms along its edge as she stared out in the

darkness, her sadness radiating from her as she lost herself to a memory

that was hers alone.

Will stayed silent instinctively knowing that she was going to say

more and moments later she continued quietly. "The day I met Deanna's father,

Ian, is as vivid to me as though it were only yesterday. I knew...I

instantly knew, as soon as I saw him that he was mine."

She chuckled sadly at a memory. "He came with a hundred or so other

men but I was aware, more than aware before he had disembarked that he

was my destiny."

Resting her cheek on her forearms she turned to face Will, a tender

smile lighting up her face even though a sheen of tears still

sparkled in her eyes. "I wanted Deanna to know happiness, Will. I wanted

her to feel what I felt when I met Ian."

"Ian died, Mrs. Troi, I might too." The stark admission knifed him in

the heart, knowing that it would have felt the same to her too.

"And if you hadn't have come here, Deanna would never have known true

Imzadi."

Will nodded slowly, an ancient proverb suddenly appearing in his head and

making sense of Lwaxana's reasoning. "Better to have loved than to not

have loved at all." He recited aloud.

Lwaxana pushed herself to a stand and started towards him again. "A

very prophetic quote, William. I couldn't have said it better myself."

Once again they found themselves head to head as sadness

permeated the air around them as it waited for an answer even though

neither of them had one and they both knew that.

"I can't stay, Mrs. Troi." Will said with sorrow.

"I know you can't."

Will tipped his head in puzzlement. "Then why did you allow us

tonight?" He asked.

She turned away again and this time headed for the door. "You both

needed closure and a last opportunity to reinforce your bond."

Lwaxana pulled open the door, stopping before she took the steps that

would end their heart to heart but still feeling the need to explain her

strange parting words, she added, "Your bond has got a long time to hold

you two together, Will, but be warned, it won't wait forever."

Something surged through Will. "How long?" he asked, his heart thumping

with expectancy of her answer.

Her smile was etched with conspiracy. "That's for Destiny to decide

and maybe a little effort from you or Deanna to keep it reminded."

Feeling happier than he had felt for eons Will couldn't help but

Smile at the news. "Thank you, Mrs. Troi."

She smiled back. "For what?" She asked.

Will raised his hand and rested his palm against the unsteady beat of

his heart and whispered as a fresh wave of emotion rose up from it's

depths. "For giving us something to live for." He croaked.

Will was smiling as he turned away from the door, relieved that the

confrontation with Deanna's mother had gone much better than he could

have ever hoped for. She was an astounding woman; full of depth and a

deep understanding for things that weren't the norm. Her own history had

prepared her the harsher realities of life. Only she would know how both

he and Deanna were feeling. Only she would know how their lives were

going to play out.

But his relief was short lived as he barely had time to pick up the

T-shirt from his bed when, this time, Will heard rather than sensed

Lwaxana as she hovered in his doorway.

"By the way, William, when was the first time you had sex?"

As he swung his gaze back towards the door, the only thing that gave

away his surprise was his own raised eyebrows. He toyed as to whether he

should answer or not, but then figured that the scene that just ran

through his mind would have been like sitting in a movie theatre for

her, Will quickly gave in, but not entirely. "Alone or with a woman?"

Her smile was indulgent. "Very amusing. Answer the question, Lieutenant."

Will sighed dramatically. "What has this got to do with my relationship

with Deanna, Mrs. Troi?"

Only waiting silence met his reasonable question.

Will sighed again, well aware that he was already beaten. "I was

fifteen and a half and it was as messy as hell, for a variety of

reasons." Will inwardly cringed with embarrassment at the long past

hellish memory. He hadn't even gotten near to the girl's reproductive

system before losing, not only his pride, but the pathetic release of

manly liquid that went everywhere but where it was intended. He'd been

so inexperienced and naive and so dumb that he'd humiliated himself

just purely by the erotic kiss that they were indulging in at the time. And worse

still, she had laughed at him. Will inwardly groaned, his eyes slipping

shut at the monumental failure that haunted him still.

"So it was nothing like that with Deanna?" Lwaxana prompted.

It took a moment to register Lwaxana's voice and her personal

question, but when it did Will realised that she had intimately

witnessed his first bungled step into adulthood and was suitably shocked

with her indelicacy. "Mrs. Troi! I..."

She waved away his embarrassment with a flip of her manicured hand.

"Humour me, William."

A different memory filled Will's head, a memory of a beautiful woman

that had given everything to him and more than he could have ever imagined.

He'd taken it and cherished the honour. He swelled with pride. "No, Mrs.

Troi." murmured, "nothing could even come close to what I had with

Deanna. It was amazing." Will's heart lifted, the first time it seemed,

for a long time and with it came the familiar grin. "Your daughter

was...is amazing, Mrs. Troi, but then you know that anyway, don't you?"

The tender smile they shared as she closed the door behind her when she

left meant more to Will than he would ever admit. Giving him that

precious gift of hope meant that his final meeting with Deanna wasn't

going to hurt quite as much as he dreaded.

But it was still going to hurt, regardless.

Tbc...


	45. Chapter 45

Chapter forty five

Deanna took in the surroundings before allowing her dark, troubled eyes

to finally settle on the object of her true intention; Will, standing

amongst his fellow comrades; with friends he'd made. Betazoids that had come

to admire and respect him and to wish him a fond farewell.

She'd dressed appropriately for the occasion, or so she had thought.

Deanna had been tempted to wear an outfit that Will would never ever

forget; something slinky, sexy and beguiling, but then, at the eleventh

hour, she had changed her mind.

As Deanna had stood in front of her mirror assessing the gown she had

chosen her heart had become overcome with a feeling that she hadn't

expected; a feeling that she had experienced not so long ago; a

melancholy that she had felt when a friend had died. When Chandra had

lost her life. It had swept through her; chilling her heart and clawing at

memories that needed to remain light and not turning them into nightmares that

threatened to consume her very soul.

Will was leaving and it felt like he was dying right then and there

in her arms. She couldn't stop the reaction from sending a chill

through her body as she hugged her slim arms around her midriff as the

loss cascaded through her. Deanna continued to stare at her reflection

in the long mirror and the tears that she longed to shed finally broke

free and she let them cleanse her heart of the misery that had bottled up

inside since Will had left her a few short hours ago.

Death required a different outfit to the one that adorned her slender

body. Stripping it off, Deanna reached into her wardrobe and pulled out

a black, high-necked, long sleeved top, slipping over her head before

reaching in again and pulling out black pants that, although fitted her

derriere snugly flared out until they reached the floor over her high heels.

The hair that she had pulled up into a high bun and had left tendrils

escaping here and there to take off its harshness was changed as Deanna freed it from

its confines and let the riot of ebony curls fall to lay naturally down her

back.

Now she looked as she felt; like a woman that was losing her soulmate.

Taking one last look in the mirror, Deanna swept a shaky hand across her

cheeks to wipe away the moisture that lay there and then turned away

with a deep sigh, pulled open the door and walked out and down the

stairs, her footsteps as heavy as her heart.

As she put her hand on the handle of the front door, Deanna hesitated.

She'd sensed her mother behind her, aware that she had paused in the

drawing room's doorway, unsure if she should say something to comfort

her daughter or let her be.

As Deanna turned the ornate bar and pulled the door slowly open, she

hesitated before turning her head far enough to face the one person that

must have known what she was going through and Deanna offered her a sad but

tentative smile. A smile that relayed to her that she would be okay.

Lwaxana could only offer a watery smile back before turning away to

remember a memory of her own, a memory that she needed to share with no

one but herself.

Deanna headed down to the base, a walk that took her almost twenty

minutes. Grateful for the solitude and the time to compose and prepare

herself for the ordeal she was about to face she wasn't prepared for

the sight that greeted her as she approached the base's accommodation

sector.

A riot of jovial laughter and chatter assaulted her ears and as Deanna

stepped into the building she realized that a party was in progress.

Will's leaving party. Inanely, she had thought that their farewell would

be somehow similar to when Will had gone to face the Sindareen; that

they would be alone. That they would be saying goodbye amongst kisses

and tears. But as she neared the room that the raucous laughter was

emanating from Deanna quickly realized that that was not going to happen.

Half concealing herself just outside the door she watched the man that

she longed spend the next half hour of her life with in private behave

as though he was going on a routine run out and not as though he was

leaving a bereft woman behind. Dismay rode her features as the enormity

of the situation unfolded before her.

Her frown deepened still as she watched him throw back his head

letting go the roar of light-hearted laughter and Deanna hadn't needed

to read his mind to know that it was of a rude nature. He stood so tall,

so handsome, his Starfleet uniform, freshly laundered or replaced fitted

his lanky frame as though it was to be forever moulded to his lean body.

It was a harsh jolt to remind her of just who Lieutenant William T Riker truly

was.

But despite his attempt of being at ease with himself, and his leaving,

Deanna could see, without even delving into the depths of his mind, that

his stance was rigid, and edgy, desperate even. He listened intently;

leaning towards those who spoke to him, afraid of letting his thoughts

wander off to a place they did not want to go. He craved the people that

clamoured for his attention as though everything depended on it. His

very life. His sanity.

_He's scared_. Deanna quickly realized. _He's petrified to be alone_

_with me._ The instant she had arrived and seen the crowd surrounding

Will, Deanna was aware, probably more than Will had been, that it was a

deliberate attempt on his part to reduce the pain that they were about

to endure to a level that could be tolerated.

Deanna wasn't sure if she was silently relieved or pitifully saddened.

Could the next few minutes be lessened to merely a fond farewell? To a

chaste kiss on the cheek? Could she allow one solitary tear to be set

free from the dam that bubbled and raged inside her, waiting to do it's

absolute worst to her already bleeding heart, her tormented mind, and

her completely tortured soul? Could she let him go without revealing any

one of them to him?

_God help her, no. But she had to try, for his sake. _

When Will's buddies had descended upon his room just before ten o'clock

after a spending the last few hours of night plagued by taunting,

conflicting demons, some begged him to stay, others told him to go. Others told him

follow his heart; to go get the girl. To be the man he always wanted to

be. To be the man that Deanna wanted him to be.

What did he do? He was emotionally ripped into two and the only thing

that kept him from yielding to his hearts true desire, was his goal. The

same goal that he had chased since he had been a boy.

To be captain of his very own Starship.

Even if it meant giving away his soul, a soul that he no longer owned

anyhow. A soul that he knew now, he would one day reclaim along with

the woman who took it.

Deanna - his Deanna - his destiny, the destiny that he had been promised.

And then, as he'd roared with grateful laughter at the roguish

wisecrack, Will's mind first tingled with a familiar sensation, the same

sensation that he'd come to be familiar with in short a time. A

sensation that he knew he was going to miss, for a variety of reasons,

the biggest being not being able to turn around and find her there, to

see her beautiful face and be aware that she was only a touch away,

mentally and physically.

Will felt his body tense as a wave of excitement that somehow, despite

the situation, always found him turning towards the origin. The same

magnetism that drew him towards her whenever she was close by. He

couldn't stop it and he didn't ever want it to and now was no

different. The chatter that continued regardless of his sudden silence

dissipated into a distant hum as Will found himself being pulled towards

the source of his mind and body's pull.

Will took in a deep, unsteady breath as his eyes found hers and he

instinctively turned his body to face her head on. But that was as far

as he got. His feet refused to move. He was aware of the voices around

him, aware of the jocular taps on the shoulder as the men continued to

include him in the conversation all completely unaware that the star of the

show had his mind and eyes locked onto the woman that was slowly walking

towards him.

Tbc...


	46. Chapter 46

Chapter forty six

Will held his breath as Deanna slowly walked towards him, steadily

holding her eyes as he estimated that it would take her eight steps to

reach him. By three he felt rather than saw the men around him begin to

fade into the background as they acknowledged the approaching woman in

silence and retreating even quieter away from the intimate union about to

happen. The party was over, in more ways than one, Will knew that, and

so did they. But not as clearly as the woman heading his way.

Deanna couldn't move her eyes away from Will's as she slowly walked to

him hoping and praying that the audience surrounding him would take the

hint and leave. They read her mind as one by one they vanished as

though a force had locked on to them all and beamed them away from the couple. One

minute they were there and the next gone, their footsteps fading away

along with the echoes that followed them through the metallic structure.

Deanna came to a stop before Will, her breath catching in her throat as

she devoured his very essence as it swirled around them. Slowly, she

lifted her palm and settled it upon his chest and as she did, Will's

eyes broke away from hers and dropped them to her mouth, it triggering a

memory that skittered a powerful surge of desire that stirred his loins

and the force of it made his face lift to the heavens and gasp for the breath

that she stole away from him as she touched him, his body reacting

violently to the intimate caress.

Will wanted her even more than his next breath, he realized. He wanted

her so much that in that instant, that moment, he almost threw away

everything he was fighting for just to have her beneath him once more.

Just to feel the way he had felt when they had first made love. God,

just to _feel_.

But he couldn't, he wouldn't, but he had to do something, something that

would transcend them somewhere other than where they were now; at the

abyss of loneliness. The intelligent, sensible thing to have done right

then was to have walked away. It was madness, to prolong the agony, but

God help him, he couldn't step away from her, not yet. He still wasn't

ready, just as Deanna wasn't ready to let him go.

As Will moved his own hand to cover hers, he dropped his gaze back to

eyes, holding it as he rose his other hand and ran his thumb along her

lip and cupping her jaw tenderly as he lost himself to the moment.

Her mouth parted and her dark eyes, heavy with passion, struggled to

remain focused. Futilely she gave up the fight and let them drift shut as

Will continued his torturous assault on her lips, wishing with all her

heart that it was his mouth that was tormenting her.

She could feel his breath upon her face, amazed that the simplistic

movement upon her mouth and the caress of his hand upon hers could be so

erotic. She was melting inside. She wanted more, more than his touch,

more than his thoughts that rushed through her making her aching and

wanton.

Will's ferocious need was holding on by a thread along with her own. It

was pointless trying to hold off the inevitable, and why should they? They

were adults after all. After tomorrow the chances of them meeting again were so

remote that it clawed at Deanna's soul.

But this was goodbye, a goodbye that couldn't be uttered. A goodbye that

needed to be said in a different way. And it had to be this way, for them both.

Will hovered close to Deanna's mouth, absorbing her breath as she

reached her face up to him, his own breath quickening with anticipation. With

each breath that slipped past her lips he felt her heartbeat accelerate

beneath his fingertips. Turning his hand, Will covered her breast and

it immediately begged to be caressed, pushing into his heated palm.

Deanna's desire pooled low in her belly making her burn and squirm

against him. She was on fire.

The sizzling currents racing between her and Will were so potent they were

almost visible. The suggestive heat in his eyes burned through, making

her bask in a glow that, at the point, she really shouldn't be feeling.

But she couldn't help herself. It was always like this for her when Will

touched her, the knowledge hurting even more to know that it wasn't

going to happen for them again.

He was about to leave her, damn it! But before he went, Deanna was going

to remind him what he was leaving behind. The hunger for his kiss

increased, but with it came the pain, the pain that started as hunger

and was now when she least wanted it to be turning to a feeling that ate at

her breaking heart.

_Oh, God_, she thought, desperately, God_, not now, please...not now,_ But

despite her silent pleas Deanna felt the pain that she had pushed away

slowly emerge from places that she'd forgotten about and probably

deliberately if she were honest with herself.

Will saw the pain fill Deanna's eyes. She was like fire and ice to him. A

moment ago he felt her need and let it heat his own growing need to

devour the woman in his arms. But just when he was sure their lips were

about to collide and set them both aflame a bolt of sorrow consumed

him. He saw it in her eyes and heard in the gasp that left her lungs.

_Not now_! Will moaned silently. They had to fight the all-consuming

terror that fought to take them both over. Just a short while, that

was all they needed. Just a little while longer. Just long enough to

give them a memory worth holding in their hearts. Pulling her hard

against his body and crushing her tiny hand against his solid chest, he

held her gaze_. Kiss me_. He ordered with his eyes. _Don't talk, just_

_kiss me goodbye, Deanna._

As though he were tormenting her, Deanna gamely reached up and pressed

her lips to his, and as she did so, so came release; the dam burst within them

and as Will's tongue swept into her open and willing mouth

Deanna's met his half way and drowned in the deluge that overpowered

their souls as they connected for the final time.

With a groan that started from his hardened loins, Will gripped her

waist and hauled her up higher. With an urgency that sent his pulse

racing, Deanna knotted her freed hands in his hair, twisting his head to

a better angle, sweeping her tongue further into his mouth, swallowing

the same groan as his heat raged higher and scalded his throat.

Suddenly Will's only thought now was, where. Where could her take her

to make love to her? Back into his room or the office? Nothing flat

there but his desk and that was covered with abandoned paperwork. Correction, his

abandoned paperwork. Tang was going to rip his ears off when he got back

on his feet, he mused before shifting his frantic mind back to the

matter at hand; Deanna.

Deanna.

_Oh, God,Deanna._

Deanna felt the two changes in him as his thoughts went from highly

erotic to despair in seconds. For a moment she had been sure that had

there been somewhere suitable that he could have taken her, both

literally and figuratively, they would now have been making love and

she would have let him. She would have welcomed him.

But then something clicked and Deanna sensed it as clearly as a light

being turned off. She felt it in his mind. Felt it in the way the kiss

turned from carnal to desolate; a sadness invaded his soul and poured

itself into her consuming her entire body and mind too, turning desire

into grief.

Stifling the sobs that began to rise Deanna clung to Will's shoulders

as she felt him struggle, and fail, to hold onto his emotions. Will was

losing himself to the grief that was taking him over. It was the last thing

she wanted to happen. Deanna rationally knew, more than anything

else and whether she liked it or not, that Will had to leave.

She had to end this, now, for both their sakes before she made

a fool of herself and left Will in a position that would

undoubtedly destroy both of their lives.

Moving her hands back down to Will's chest as she manoeuvred her body

lower until she touched the floor again, ignoring the tug on her

heartstrings as Will clung onto her lips and her body as he dimly

realized what she was about to do.

She tried in vain to disconnect her unwilling mouth from his as she

gently pushed away from his body, but Will only held on tighter, fusing

his lower limbs to hers, stretching his face to hers as she moved her

own away, forcing her body to bend backwards, the end result only

heightening the need of their lower bodies.

_Will!_ She cried silently, desperately, pushing harder until at last

she finally managed to tear her mouth away from his. Will stared down at

her with fascination; Deanna's lips were swollen with his kisses, her

eyes swam with the tears that he had created, and she had never looked

more beautiful to him. In a heartbeat, Will yanked her back towards him,

fastening his mouth upon hers again and plundering it's depths like a man

about to die of thirst.

Deanna struggled for as long as the shock of his sudden movement

startled her, but within moments her arms snaked around Will's neck and

she kissed him back with as much fervour as he as whimpers of

frustration mingled with the scalding tears that squeezed from

between her tightly shut eyelids. God, she didn't want to cry, not yet,

but the sadness that invaded Will's mind was now merging with her own.

A minute later when they reluctantly broke apart, it was mutual. It was

as though they both at the same time acknowledged that it was time.

Slowly they broke apart and simply stood devouring each other's features

carving them into their memories for the life time to come.

Unsteadily, Deanna took one step back, dropping her hands into his

unwilling and unable to break that final link. In the distance, they

both heard movement. The base was coming back alive again. It had let

them have their time of privacy and now it was time to move on. Men were

returning to their posts and ships were firing up and preparing to leave, and

they were equally conscious that Will's was one of those waiting to go.

Deanna took another step back away from her soulmate. The knowledge that

this was it; that this was the end had finally set free the tears that had

waited for this moment, clogged her throat as she tried to

utter her goodbye.

Quickly shaking his head as his own eyes brimmed with carefully held back

tears, Will reached up a hand and touched her lips with a trembling

finger and added silently, _Don't say anything, Deanna. Don't say the words_.

When Deanna took another step back it was too far for their hands to

remain linked. As they let go it seemed to let go of the hold that had

kept them locked together. Destiny had finally set them free.

Tears streamed down her cheeks as Deanna choked back the hysterical sobs

that she could feel bubbling deep inside. She had to go, now, before she

did something stupid, like tell him that she loved him or not to go. Or to

stay and be her true Imzadi in every sense of the word, but she

couldn't. She absolutely would not even though every part of her

screamed at her stupidity, and her cowardliness.

Spinning on her heals before her mouth could utter one damning word

Deanna quickly moved away. But she had barely taken half a dozen steps

when Will mentally called to her, stopping her flee with a suddenness

that caused her to sway where she stood.

_Deanna_!

Deanna dropped her head in defeat but didn't turn, even though she

wanted just one last look at him. She could hear Will's fear as he spoke

her name, scared that he would never, ever see her again, and realised that she

needed to let him know that she was going to be okay. But she didn't

turn. She couldn't, nor wouldn't. It was over. It was done, there was

nothing more to say and nothing more to do.

Taking a deep breath and squaring her shoulders, Deanna spoke silently

as she began to walk away but this time without stopping, the tears

blurring her vision so much that only memory guided her way.

_Remember what I've taught you. Remember me as I will always remember_

_You Imzadi._

Ten minutes later as she walked back towards her home and Deanna pondered

how her life was going to be from now on. She knew that it would

never be the same again, because a man called William T Riker had made sure of

it. Destiny had secured their fates at a terrible cost of their

happiness, for now. _Would they ever meet again?_ She wondered. _Would they_

_still feel the same way about each other? Would their Imzadi bond endure the time_

_apart?_

In her heart, Deanna knew that it would. She'd witnessed her mother's,

even though there had been other men, and it looked like there was soon

to be another to try take her father's place. But there would never be

another Imzadi for Lwaxana Troi, just as there would never be another Imzadi for

Deanna.

Deanna heard a ship soar into the clear blue skies above her and knew

that Will was its pilot. Stopping to look up, she couldn't help herself from

watching as the small craft banked and headed away from Betazed, and away

from her. She watched until she could no longer see or feel him.

Taking a deep, shuddering breath Deanna pulled her watery gaze away

from the heavens and continued on, numb with a loss that she knew would

stay with her until they came face to face once more, if they ever did.

_God, she hoped she would._

He was gone and now it was up to Destiny to decide when their paths

would meet again and Deanna hoped with all her broken heart and soul

that it wouldn't be too long before she saw her Imzadi once more.

tbc...


	47. Chapter 47

Well, this is it, folks. I hope enjoyed my (not so little) tale. Thanks to those of you who reviewed. It was lovely to read your comments ;)

Epilogue: Two weeks later...

Deanna lay back and stared up at the clear blue sky through the glass.

It was as clear today as it was on the day when her love had left her

behind. But she didn't see the turquoise songbird that hovered overhead

as it teased a potential mate. Nor did she see the fluffy white clouds

as they passed by, slowly moving time along.

One hand cupped the back of her head and the other settled lightly upon

her stomach calming the churning within. But nothing could settle her

scattered thoughts nor the longings that gripped her heart still, even

though Deanna came to the arboretum daily to specifically meditate and soothe

her bruised soul.

Drawn by the peace, the solitude and the memories that continued to

haunt her, Deanna invariably ended up on a daily basis at the

arboretum to lay on the chaise longue, the same chaise longue where her

intimate romance with Will had deepened beyond thought.

It was the one place that Deanna allowed herself to remember and to

grieve for what was lost, and today was to be no different. She wore the

black outfit that she had said goodbye to her soul mate in; it seemed

fitting and suited her mood. Today was going to be a bad day, she knew

that as soon as she woke this morning after a restless night, tormented

by memories of the past and visions of a future that was beyond her

grasp, and when she woke and realized that nothing had transpired from

her dreams and she was alone in her bed still, Deanna wept with misery.

Very aware that she was still here thinking about Will, and Will was

still out there somewhere, would he be still thinking about her? She wondered.

There had been no communication from him and no passed along messages via his

comrades. There was nothing - Nothing but an emptiness that was growing bigger in

her soul by the day.

Her mother, bless her, had tried to help; told her that it would get

better. That she knew what she was going through. That one day, in time,

she would see her Imzadi again, she had promised. But Deanna didn't want to

hear it. If it hadn't been for her playing that stupid poker game this

whole thing with Will would never had even gotten started. If it hadn't been for

Deanna being a Betazoid she would have never even had to make Imzadi a

part of her life, and she wouldn't be hurting like she did now.

But she was, despite her half-hearted attempt not to take on the ancient

and traditional ritual. And her mother had warned her. She hadn't

known that Will was capable of even becoming her Imzadi. It just didn't

happen normally. It just didn't! The chance was so remote, especially

with her being only an empathy that, realistically, it should not have

happened.

But it had, and now she was going to have to deal with it.

Somehow.

But later, in an hour or so, when she went home and tried to carry on

with her life. Right now though, she just needed time to remember

alone and here was the best place; away from her home, away from her

mother. Just away from everything but her traitorous thoughts. But even so, it

was hopeless.

_Will._ She murmured quietly feeling the familiar ache in the pit of her

stomach grow. Deanna rubbed it absently with her hand, the tiny circular

movement comforting until a shard of desire bled through and stabbed

lower still creating a heat that pooled in her womb causing her to

squirm. A low moan of despair slipped past her lips as Will's features

swam before her eyes as his blue eyes, alive with love, smiled down at

her. The hand left her waist and raised itself unwittingly to him,

reaching up towards the vision that was hovering above her.

_Oh, God, Will, come back_

"Why do you keep doing this to yourself, Little One?"

Startled and guilty of being caught Deanna gasped before shooting

upright, the surprise upon her face now flamed with shame instead of

longing. "Mother!" she cried, "I come here to stop you from interfering

with my private time. Why have you come?" she asked spitefully, the flush

turning from shame to anger. "Is it to lecture me _again?"_

Stepping from between the shrubbery and shadows batting away the

overhanging branches with feigned irritation, Lwaxana Troi stepped

towards her daughter ignoring the flush that coated her skin along with

the indignant and insulting thoughts that ran riot through her mind.

"It's been two weeks, darling," she said worriedly as she settled

herself beside Deanna and grimacing at the slightly grubby lump of

furniture that she had placed her raw silk gown upon. "I think it's time

for you to stop being silly."

Deanna blinked rapidly and disbelief raged through her at her mothers

heartless comments. "Silly!" her normally low and melodious voice

stepped up along with her rage. "Silly! You think that me mourning for

my Imzadi that only left me two, whole, long, incredibly agonizing weeks

ago, is silly?!"

Once again Lwaxana batted away the question with a dismissive wave of

her hand. "Oh, hush, Little One, anyone would think that Will had passed

away the way you've been mooning all over the place. You haven't, I

might add, even been to see the Xerx's to offer them any support, after

all, they have just lost their daughter. Chandra _is_ dead, you know?"

Guilt swept through Deanna again when her treasured friends beautiful

face filled her thoughts for a moment and she sighed with defeat and

shame even though facing Chandra's parents was possibly the last thing

she wanted to do right now. But she owed them her loyalty. They had seen

her born and then grow into the woman that she was today. "You're right,

Mother," Deanna sighed, "I know my priorities are misplaced. I'll go and

see them tomorrow, I promise."

A long silence stretched as mother and daughter looked at one another,

trying to breach the awkwardness that had never been there before. It

was a new experience for them both. Oh, they had had their tiffs before,

some had even escalated into full scale arguments, but this was

different. This was about something that they had both been through, and

still suffered for. Something that still affected their hearts and their

futures, but within moments, Will flooded her thoughts again

eradicating everything but her acute loss.

"I'm sorry," Deanna murmured as unwilling tears flooded her eyes, "I...I

just miss him so much."

Lwaxana melted. Slipping her arm around her much smaller daughters

Shoulders, Lwaxana pulled her to her breast. "I know you do, Darling, I know

you do. I miss him, too. He was an enormous presence in the short space

of time that he was here."

Long moments later when she felt Deanna's mind settle as she comforted

her she puffed out an over-exaggerated breath of air and said, "I wish

he were still here, I don't think I'll ever play a decent hand of poker

ever again without him." she mused, "Humans are so transparent, they take

all the fun out of the game. Except William, of course," she added, with

pride. "Now that man knew how to play."

Pushing herself to a stand, Lwaxana wandered over to a rare rose that

hung from a branch, the shrub heavy with other roses born from the same root but

each blossom as different as the next. It was why it was so rare; from

the deepest crimson to the palest of pink, the rose was beyond beauty.

She touched one delicately, her orange nail-polish a stark contrast to

the flower's own beautiful colour.

Absently, she said quietly as she moved her face closer to take in the

heavenly scent. "I'm glad you lost that game, Deanna." Deanna stayed

silent realizing that she had more to say. "Without Will," she carried

on, "You would never have contemplated ever leaving Betazed."

Deanna pushed herself to a stand and moved towards her mother. "But,

why? I thought that was what you wanted of me, mother; to follow in your

footsteps; to become an ambassador like you. To carry on what would die

otherwise, if I didn't."

Smiling sadly, Lwaxana linked her arm through Deanna's and lead her back

through the maze of fauna and away from the area that prompted unhappiness.

"Darling, to become an ambassador you must see beyond your own home.

You must come to understand other cultures and other peoples way of

thinking, and doing in order to be as successful as I."

"But you...!"

"No, I didn't, not until it was too late to truly appreciate what a

wondrous universe lay beyond our own. Deanna," she said with awe,

"There are things out there that you would never believe could be true.

There are people that will leave such a mark on your life that it would go

even further than friendship. You can win wars with knowledge, Deanna,

but not if you stay here."

Stunned, Deanna could only stare at her mother and let her astounding

words sink in, and when they did, she could only splutter, "But I..."

"Yes, you would, Little One. Until William came along you had not

considered that there was other worlds out there to explore. You were

happy here and you would not have gone any further than your own back yard."

The silence stretched between them again and by this time they had stepped

from the glass enclosure out into the sunshine and were heading towards

the college, the one place that Deanna had steadfastly avoided since

the fateful day when Chandra and many others had lost their lives.

At first, she battled against the lies that her mother revealed to her,

but slowly, each lie became a truth. Deanna had been happy here, and she

have never wanted to leave the security of her family or her home, her

friends, or indeed her life. She thought she'd got it all within the

palm of her hand. She thought her life had been mapped out quite nicely.

But that was until William Riker had come along and made her see beyond

herself.

As they sank onto a park bench to watch the workforce rebuilding the

shattered remains of the college Deanna turned her body towards her

mother and gathered her fingers in hers as she asked. "What should I do?"

For a long moment Lwaxana said nothing, but finally, without taking her

watery eyes away from the scene ahead, she murmured, "Go after him.

Don't let him go."

"But he's already gone, Mother." Deanna cried.

"That's not what I mean, Deanna, and you know it." she retorted,

quietly breaking her gaze away from the disturbing sight ahead to

turn and take in her daughters troubled features.

"Will has only gone physically, darling, you mustn't let him leave your soul. You

must go after him, Deanna. You must not let him go."

Deanna's mind raced with elation and dread. Could she leave her life and

start another? As soon as she asked herself the question her heart gave

the answer she sought_. Yes._ She silently cried as joy soared from

somewhere deep inside bringing welcome tears to her eyes. _Yes, I could._

Deanna sprang to her feet with excitement and Lwaxana silently moaned

with dismay. "Not yet, Deanna, you can't go after William just yet."

Deanna deflated like a punctured balloon. "But, you ..."

Wearily, Mrs. Troi pushed herself to a stand and captured Deanna's

fingers again. "Darling, you cannot just up and leave, and William is

not ready for you to find him again, not just yet." Deanna stared at her with

bewilderment unsure why her mother was back-tracking on such a

heartfelt command. "Finish your studies, darling, and then go and hunt

your man down."

Deanna chuckled at the serious expression upon her mother's face knowing

full well that she was being anything but. "Hunt him down!?" she giggled.

Lwaxana Troi nodded, letting the smile that she deliberately kept hidden

erupt on her classically beautiful face. "Hunt him down, Deanna." she

reiterated again, before adding, "That boy owes me a poker game and he

owes you a rather a lot more. No man takes on the Troi's and gets away

with it."

Laughing, the two woman linked arms again and headed home. It wasn't

long before Deanna Troi did indeed leave her home and head for Planet

Earth to start a life that would eventually lead her back into the arms

of the man she loved, a bittersweet journey that she would never have

even dreamed of, if it hadn't been for the Sindareen and one

Lieutenant William T Riker.

~End~

/tbc... /


End file.
